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

Though the client had a limited budget (with the dollar figure unspecified), Quality Experience saw an opportunity to revive the cinematic large-scale brand ad—a la Apple’s “1984”—a style that has drifted in and out of vogue in the ad business.

“Every few years we see one… and we’re all reminded that those can still serve an incredibly strong purpose in our industry,” Weiss said. “It’s a craft that shouldn’t get lost.”

The approach—in this case music-driven and dialogue-free—differs significantly from Tonal’s previous marketing. Those nuts-and-bolts ads focused on its high-tech strength-training device, on-demand classes, and membership community. A few spots have starred professional athletes like LeBron James and Serena Williams, who were also early investors in the company.

A challenging landscape

“Future of Fitness” premieres as brands in the segment contend with a host of issues, including skyrocketing GLP-1 use among the American public and intense competition from companies trying to capture the fourth quarter and early 2025 resolution crowd.

At the same time, the at-home fitness industry has slowed after a pandemic boom. Peloton’s CEO recently left amid a 15% cut in the workforce and continued declining sales, and Lululemon discontinued the Mirror product it had acquired in 2020 for $500 million.

The Silicon Valley-based Tonal, meantime, is on its third CEO in two years, having recently named Darren MacDonald to the job. MacDonald, a veteran of Petco and Walmart, succeeds Krystal Zell.

The privately-held company hit unicorn status—worth a reported $1.9 billion at its height in 2022—but that number dropped to around $500 million the following year, per Fortune. There have been significant layoffs since its heyday, about 35% of the workforce, though an investment round in spring 2023 raised $130 million.

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