New York-based audio post-production studio Sound Lounge is proud to announce a trio of recent honors for its work on Future of Fitness, the acclaimed brand film for Tonal. The studio won Audio Mix: 60 and Under at the AICP Post Awards (where it was also shortlisted in the Over :60 category), earned Outstanding Mix at the AMP Awards, and took home Gold for Best Use of Sound at the New York Festivals Advertising Awards. Notably, it’s rare for a mixer to be recognized in both the Under :60 and Over :60 categories at the AICP Post Awards for the same campaign—a distinction that underscores the depth, range, and narrative precision of the mix across formats.
The project was created in partnership with Quality Experience, the independent agency founded by the late Ari Weiss, a longtime collaborator of Sound Lounge. Alongside creative leaders from Droga5 and McCann, Ari built the agency on the belief that every brand interaction should deliver real value. Quality Experience stood for a bold, craft-forward approach to modern storytelling. Ari brought that ethos fully to life in Future of Fitness, shaping every creative detail—including sound—with care and intention. His sudden passing earlier this year was a profound loss to the industry. Shortly after, Quality Experience closed its doors, but this film remains a striking reflection of the agency’s vision—and a lasting testament to Ari’s creative spirit.
“Ari was at every single session,” said Mixer Tom Jucarone. “He championed sound as a primary storytelling tool and encouraged us to make it bold, expressive, and deliberate. We exaggerated the physicality of the Victorian workout—banging metal, straining pulleys, screeching machinery—to the edge of discomfort. As the intensity peaks, the sound becomes overwhelming, almost oppressive. And then we cut to silence—just a gentle hum in a modern living room. That contrast was everything. It made the moment land with emotional clarity, without ever needing to say a word.”
Working alongside Sound Designer Brian Emrich, the Sound Lounge team crafted a soundscape that was as cinematic as it was intentional. The result is a sonic journey that heightens the emotional arc of the film, transforming sound into a central force in the narrative.
In addition to its mixing accolades, Quality Experience’s Tonal campaign has earned widespread recognition for its cinematic craft, including a Gold for Cinematography, Silvers for Production Design and Sound Design, and a Bronze for Film/VOD at The One Show Awards. At the D&AD Awards, the campaign received a Yellow Pencil for Direction, Wood Pencils for Editing and Production Design, and was shortlisted for Sound Design & Use of Music and for Cinematography. The film also won Silvers for Cinematography and Production Design and a Bronze for Best Director at the British Arrows, and was named one of Ad Age’s 25 Best Ads of 2024.
As the campaign continues to earn recognition, Sound Lounge is deeply proud to have played a part in bringing Ari’s vision to life—and in demonstrating the narrative power of sound.
