Tonal’s Epic Ad Is a Departure for the Fitness Category

Tonal has been “steadily growing its membership and maintaining one of the fitness industry’s lowest attrition rates,” per Douglass.

Creating a vibe

Per the brief to Quality Experience, Tonal wanted to build awareness and convert consumers from other workout methods during the busiest time of year, Black Friday through New Year’s. That’s no small feat for a device that costs $4,000, though the audience isn’t as inflation-strapped as the general public.

“The target audience is early adopters of technology,” Cristina Reina, chief creative officer, said. “They’re affluent, they’re busy, they like to be efficient in every aspect of their lives, they don’t want to waste effort without getting results.”

But instead of a rational argument for Tonal’s bells and whistles, the agency is aiming for “emotional resonance,” Reina said.

“You’re not really buying an exercise machine,” Weiss said. “You’re buying the technology and the community.”

The agency worked with renowned director Aube Perrie of Pulse Films, while Atticus Ross of Nine Inch Nails composed the score. Shooting took place over three days in Romania, gathering some 150 extras for a period-perfect mini-movie that shows its characters engaged in the drudgery of repetitive exercises (banging anvils, swinging battle ropes). The escape, for the protagonist, is Tonal’s cutting-edge machine.

The campaign took cues from famous filmmakers like Jonathan Glazer, iconic sports marketing, and previous standout ads from Guinness and Playstation, Weiss said.

Other content will follow the hero film, with much of it be based in product education and function, more in line with typical marketing in the segment. Several versions of “Future of Fitness” will air on linear and connected TV and paid social channels, with plans in the works for retail partnerships and live activations.