THE RAIDERS
Preserving the most distinctive fan culture in the NFL.
PELOTON // CREATIVE CAMPAIGN + LIVE CLIENT
REFRAMING PELOTON AS A WORKOUT FOR YOUR EMOTIONS.
Peloton cannot ride its COVID-19 success forever. As gyms and in-person fitness classes reopen, people may forget the convenience and benefits of at-home exercise. Peloton needs to argue that they cannot find a comparable sweat anywhere else, whether at home or the gym. For a growing audience that seeks the mental health benefits of exercise, Peloton is more than a physical workout. It's also an outlet for exercising emotions.
*My team and I pitched this to the marketing department at Peloton as part of a student competition. We had just four days to develop the campaign. Out of seven teams total, they selected us as the winners. Recently, Peloton implemented our idea, creating a new "Mood Series."
What I Did: Spoke to both Peloton die-hards and haters. Researched the impact of COVID-19 on exercise habits. Explored the role of music in exercise and emotion management. Watched Peloton classes from my couch.
BACKGROUND: PELOTON IS A COVID-19 SUCCESS STORY.
When COVID-19 closed gyms, Peloton, which sells connected bikes and treadmills with live-streaming classes, became one of the pandemic's greatest success stories. It reported its first revenue of more than $1 billion in the second fiscal quarter of 2021. Peloton is no longer just the butt of jokes on SNL; it's serious business.
PROBLEM: POST-PANDEMIC, MANY WILL RETURN TO GYMS AND IN-PERSON CLASSES.
Despite its windfall year, growth remains concentrated in one demographic: people aged 35+ with an average household income of $100k. Peloton asked us to engage new consumers, namely younger and less affluent ones. That said, many in this demographic may be eager to return to gyms and in-person fitness classes post-pandemic. Peloton needs to identify what it offers that no alternative can.
TARGET: THOSE WHO HAVE FOUND SANCTUARY IN HOME WORKOUTS
The majority of Americans who have tried working out from home during the pandemic prefer it to the crowded environments of gyms. More people recognize its potential as a sacred time alone, in which they can work through their ideas, problems, and emotions. Even though they have too much time alone right now, they may miss solitude when they return to the hustle and bustle of their regular lives.
REALIZATION: PELOTON BRINGS A BROADER RANGE OF MUSIC—AND EMOTIONS—TO THE HOME.
Other exercise classes, both in-person and at-home, only offer hype. Through its wide-ranging playlists, Peloton allows exercises to experience a broader range of emotions: sad, angry, sexy, and more. Alone in the privacy of their homes, they are free to laugh, cry, and feel all the feels. User Katie Hart, writing about instructor Kendall Toole's class on the Peloton Facebook Group, put it best:
"I am not one to cry, but damn Kendall! I was ugly crying while trying to climb to 'Hallelujah'. This has been one of the hardest years of my life, as I'm sure it has been for so many. What doesn't kill us only makes us stronger, right?"
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STRATEGY:
FOR PEOPLE GRAPPLING WITH MANY EMOTIONS, PELOTON IS AN OUTLET TO EXERCISE THEM.
CREATIVE IDEA: WORK OUT. WORK THROUGH.
With a pandemic, a shaky economy, political upheaval, the fishbowl of social media, and more, we live in emotional times. Thankfully, Peloton is like therapy, with playlists to match all your moods, good and bad. Stop going through the motions and start exercising your emotions.
PRINT + OUT-OF-HOME
INTERACTIVE MURAL + AR OUT-OF-HOME
SOCIAL
Much of Peloton's success is due to its instructors, who have distinctive personalities and cultlike followings. Their affirmations and mantras are central to Peloton's unique brand of therapy. We leveraged their rockstar personas and viral soundbites to create shareable social media content.
PR
Through social listening, Peloton should identify opportunities to interact with celebrities and everyday people experiencing their own ranges of emotions. Since they might benefit from some Peloton therapy, we would offer them a free bike or membership. First up: Taylor Swift.
APP EXTENSION
Peloton could partner with Calm to provide users custom exercise sessions for the mind.
THE TEAM →
Hannah Berling — Art Director
Thomas Freeman — Strategist
Dominik Hofacker — Experience Designer
Chelsie Kelly — Copywriter
MY PART →
Creative Brief
Brand Strategy
Positioning
SWOT & 4C'S Analysis
In-Depth Interviews
Social Listening