• by Les Luchter , November 16, 2024

“Stop working out in the past,” advises home strength training system Tonal in a new campaign marked by cinematic black-and-white depictions of Victoria-era exercises like banging anvils, riding penny farthing bicycles and rowing old-time boats.

Only when the ad’s female protagonist flees that world and enters her Tonal home gym does the picture change, “Wizard of Oz”-like, to color.

This tour-de-force, in 2-minute, 90-second, 30-second and 15-second versions, marks the debut of Quality Experience (QX) as Tonal’s creative agency of record. For QX, founded earlier this year by former DDB global chief creative officer Ari Weiss, the campaign is its second ever, following work for Shutterfly that debuted last month.

“QX signed on the week before I did, so we onboarded together,” Tonal vice president of marketing Meg Douglass tells Marketing Daily. Before joining Tonal earlier this year, Douglass had her own creative agency background, having held director positions at both Huge and Grey Group.

The result of the Tonal-QX collaboration is not only a new ad campaign, but a brand redesign under the name “Power Progress.”

“In the past, Tonal’s advertising has been more aspirational paired with functional, feature-driven messages,” Douglass relates. “As we grow, we know that the best way to connect with our discerning audience in the long-term is through an emotional connection to the brand. This is a brand reset where the goal was to create a brand that could live up to what the product actually delivers.”

Tonal’s audience runs from 18 to 65+, Douglass says, “but our core is 35-55 health-conscious, high-achieving and highly active.”

They’ll be targeted via the new ad campaign over connected TV, linear TV, paid social and outdoor, with Tonal handling the media buying in-house. Live activations and retail partnerships are also planned.

While the campaign will run through 2025, a key focus is the period between Black Friday into the New Year, when the fitness industry experiences its highest sales.

Indeed, Tonal is also offering its biggest Black Friday weekend deal ever: $1,000 off its Tonal Trainer.

The campaign’s goal is to "build brand awareness and brand love -- with an aim to drive velocity and lower the average cost of acquisition over time,” Douglass says.

The “Power Progress” platform, she adds, was built to last years beyond today. This is just chapter one.”

“Power Progress,” Douglass explains, “will be supported by a variety of product-focused content, including videos, digital display and social media posts.”

All of these will “highlight Tonal's cutting-edge technology and efficiency in a clear and accessible way,” she says. “This one-two punch approach is crafted to capture both the hearts and minds of our audience.”

Tonal, founded in 2015, has more than 150,000 members.

Per an August CNET review, members pay some $4,000 for their smart equipment (or $84 a month for four years), plus a $60 monthly membership to access such features as virtual classes.