This whole Peloton controversy has gotten out of hand, but it has at least two big winners: Peloton bike riding actress Monica Ruiz and Aviation Gin's Ryan Reynolds. While Ruiz has blamed herself for the Peloton commercial's negative reception -- saying her eyebrows made her look worried -- Ryan Reynolds and his company quickly took pity on her ... and saw the clever marketing opportunity to hire her for their own ad. It was a win-win.
Why did Ryan Reynolds do it, and rush so quickly to capitalize in the viral ad? Well, in his typical self-deprecating fashion, the 6 Underground star joked that he wished someone had done this for him back when he, Blake Lively, and Taika Waititi made that movie they like to deny ever happened.
As Jimmy Fallon pointed out when talking to Ryan Reynolds, the Aviation Gin team got Peloton actress Monica Ruiz within a day of the commercial taking off on social media. Here's more from Reynolds on The Tonight Show:
Yeah, within a few hours of her ad. ... I've been there in that position as an actor, where you do something that doesn't quite work. And I really wish somebody from a gin company had called me right after Green Lantern and was like 'Hey! I've got something funny you can do as an answer to that.' So yeah we got a hold of her. It was really difficult because nobody knew how to get a hold of her. Obviously the people at Peloton didn't want us to get a hold of her. But we got a hold of her and within 36 hours we had shot, chopped, and put out this commercial.
Amazing hustle. Monica Ruiz told Today she initially was uncertain about doing the Aviation Gin ad because she had a good experience making the Peloton commercial and she didn't want to appear like she was making fun of the company. But she said Aviation Gin and Ryan Reynolds helped her find the humor in the situation and she thanked both companies. No question, this has really turned out well for her.
On the other hand, is anyone going to do the same for Peloton husband Sean Hunter? He worried about the repercussions of the backlash as an actor and elementary school teacher in Canada. As he told Psychology Today...
I couldn’t believe what I was seeing. My 5 seconds of air time created an array of malicious feedback that is all associated with my face. ... I’m grappling with the negative opinions as none of them have been constructively helpful. ... I currently sit here hoping that I’ll be able to continue auditioning for commercials without any taint, and that if my students happen to find the commercial and recognize me, they won’t think about me any different than they already know me.
You know what needs to happen next, right? Hugh Jackman needs to continue the fake feud with Ryan Reynolds by casting the Peloton Husband in a Laughing Man Coffee ad. Win-win.
