One of the worst things that can happen to a working actor or actress is to seemingly hit the jackpot by landing a national ad campaign, only for the ad they star in to become a laughing stock — or worse.
Such was the unfortunate outcome for an actress who appeared in a holiday ad for a Peloton exercise bike that sparked a huge backlash. Luckily, on Friday the actress received a Christmas miracle of sorts courtesy of “Deadpool” star Ryan Reynolds, who cast her in a hilarious ad for his Aviation Gin brand that gives her some much-needed respite from the cultural sh-uh, snowstorm she inadvertently stumbled into.
If you’re just catching up, the Peloton ad in question focuses on a woman who receives one of the company’s bikes from her husband as a Christmas present, then documents the next year of her life using it via selfie videos. At the end, she and her partner sit down on the couch to view her year, and then she thanks him for changing her life. The spot premiered in early November, but after being noticed over the Thanksgiving holiday was harshly criticized as sexist and sizeist — the backlash was so severe it caused the company’s stock to drop 13%. Ouch.
While the actress, whose name has not been made public, wasn’t personally blamed for the ad, she was still the face of what turned out to be the most hated commercial of 2019. Skip ahead to the Aviation Gin ad, which begins with a closeup on the actress as she clearly seems to be working through some stress.
Then the camera pulls back, and we see she’s in a cafe with two very concerned friends, staring at a glass of gin. “This gin is really smooth,” she remarks. “We can get you another one?” asks one friend. “You’re safe here,” says the other. The actress raises a toast “to new beginnings,” then proceeds to drink her glass dry.
“There you go,” says one friend. “It’s gonna be a fun night,” says the other, who slides her own glass over. And yeah, we feel it girl. 100%.
Watch the clip above. And God bless us, everyone.