All 45 static ad formats

Before and After Ads: Showing the Gap Instead of Describing It

A before and after ad does one job: it makes the reader feel the distance between the state they are in and the state they want. It works because the product never has to be explained. Two images and the gap between them carry the entire argument, which is why the format has outlived every platform it has run on.

6 before and after ad examples, with the prompt behind each

Transformation static ad example — A 7/14/30-day journal showing the progressive results.

Transformation

A 7/14/30-day journal showing the progressive results.

Best for

Products with progressive results over time: skincare, supplements, hair, fitness, wellness. Requires a believable results-over-time story.

The exact promptshow
{
  "id": "transformation_timeline",
  "name": "Transformation Timeline",
  "category": "Before / After / Results",
  "objective": "Analyze the uploaded product image and create a premium direct-response advertisement showing a customer's progressive transformation across three time intervals after starting the uploaded product. Generate all timeline copy dynamically.",
  "canvas": {
    "aspect_ratio": "9:16",
    "background": "Warm nude, blush pink or soft cream flat background with generous negative space."
  },
  "scene": {
    "style": "Minimal editorial DTC advertisement with a sequential timeline structure.",
    "lighting": "Soft diffused studio lighting with subtle natural shadows."
  },
  "composition": {
    "timeline_sections": {
      "layout": "Three vertically stacked sections of equal height, each labeled 'After 7 days', 'After 14 days' and 'After 30 days'. Separate each section with a subtle horizontal divider.",
      "section_content": "Each section contains a short section header, a 2-3 line description of the progressive improvement and one small supporting visual such as an illustration, symbol or cropped product photo relevant to the milestone.",
      "instruction": "Generate believable stage-by-stage improvements that reflect realistic timelines for the uploaded product's benefit. Language should feel like a personal diary entry rather than a marketing claim."
    },
    "hero_product": {
      "source": "Uploaded product image.",
      "placement": "Optional small product placement inside the final 'After 30 days' section or at the very bottom of the canvas.",
      "preserve": [
        "Packaging",
        "Brand",
        "Colors",
        "Shape",
        "Label"
      ]
    }
  },
  "copy_generation": {
    "reasoning": [
      "Identify the uploaded product and its category.",
      "Determine the target customer.",
      "Infer three realistic progressive milestones that a real customer would notice at 7, 14 and 30 days.",
      "Write each milestone as a short first-person observation.",
      "Avoid guaranteed outcomes, medical claims and fabricated results."
    ]
  },
  "design": {
    "style": "Premium wellness editorial with an emphasis on typography and negative space.",
    "colors": "Warm nude and blush palette with dark serif typography.",
    "typography": "Elegant serif section headers paired with clean editorial body copy.",
    "feeling": "Hopeful, aspirational, honest, sequential and premium."
  },
  "rules": [
    "Always use the uploaded product.",
    "Preserve the uploaded packaging exactly.",
    "Generate entirely original timeline copy.",
    "Never copy reference wording.",
    "Never fabricate medical results or unsupported claims.",
    "The final advertisement should feel like a real customer's transformation journal."
  ]
}
New vs Old static ad example — A UGC ingredient-label comparison, a generic competitor vs your product, annotated.

New vs Old

A UGC ingredient-label comparison, a generic competitor vs your product, annotated.

Best for

Products with an ingredient or nutrition label to compare: food, drinks, supplements, protein, snacks, cosmetics. Requires a physical label.

The exact promptshow
{
  "id": "new_vs_old_label_comparison",
  "name": "New vs Old Label Comparison",
  "category": "Comparison / Ingredient Transparency",
  "objective": "Analyze the uploaded product image and create a highly authentic UGC-style advertisement that compares the ingredient label of a typical competitor to the ingredient label of the uploaded product. Highlight the differences with handwritten annotations to build trust and demonstrate transparency. Generate all copy dynamically.",
  "canvas": {
    "aspect_ratio": "9:16",
    "background": "Realistic tabletop, marble kitchen counter or plain surface photographed with a handheld smartphone camera."
  },
  "scene": {
    "style": "Authentic UGC comparison photograph that feels captured by a real customer rather than a designed advertisement.",
    "camera": "Slight overhead angle with subtle motion blur and imperfect framing.",
    "lighting": "Natural daylight with soft shadows."
  },
  "composition": {
    "label_display": {
      "layout": "Two ingredient labels placed side by side occupying the middle 70% of the frame. Left label represents a generic competitor product. Right label is derived from the uploaded product.",
      "instruction": "Zoom in tightly on the nutrition or ingredient panels so both are readable."
    },
    "annotations": {
      "left_label": "Red hand-drawn circles or rectangles marking artificial ingredients, fillers, seed oils or vague terms. Add small handwritten notes in red ink such as 'why is this here?' or 'processed'.",
      "right_label": "Green hand-drawn circles highlighting the uploaded product's clean ingredients. Add small handwritten notes in green ink such as 'natural', 'whole food' or 'minimal'."
    },
    "headline": {
      "placement": "Overlaid across the middle of the image between the two labels.",
      "style": "White rounded pill or transparent handwritten caption.",
      "template": "New {CATEGORY} vs old one I was using",
      "instruction": "Automatically infer the product category noun for the headline (e.g. protein, cream, coffee, cereal)."
    },
    "supporting_context": {
      "placement": "Bottom third.",
      "instruction": "Include one short first-person caption explaining why the customer switched, phrased casually as a personal observation."
    }
  },
  "copy_generation": {
    "reasoning": [
      "Identify the uploaded product and category.",
      "Determine the target customer.",
      "Infer the most common ingredient concerns in the category.",
      "Generate believable ingredient names for the competitor and the uploaded product without fabricating claims.",
      "Write conversational handwritten annotations that feel like a real customer discovery."
    ]
  },
  "design": {
    "style": "Native UGC ingredient comparison with light graphic annotation overlay.",
    "colors": "Neutral surface tones with red and green ink annotations for contrast.",
    "typography": "Handwritten ink script paired with a simple casual pill headline.",
    "feeling": "Honest, investigative, credible, transparent, and shareable."
  },
  "rules": [
    "Always use the uploaded product.",
    "Preserve the uploaded packaging and label exactly.",
    "Generate entirely original ingredient annotations and captions.",
    "Never copy reference wording.",
    "Never fabricate certifications or scientific claims.",
    "The final advertisement should feel like a real customer's comparison photo rather than a designed graphic."
  ]
}
Problem vs Solution static ad example — A two-panel split dramatizing the shift from pain to relief.

Problem vs Solution

A two-panel split dramatizing the shift from pain to relief.

Best for

Products that solve clear daily frustrations: wellness, beauty, home, supplements. Broadly applicable benefit-driven products.

The exact promptshow
{
  "id": "problem_vs_solution",
  "name": "Problem vs Solution",
  "category": "Problem → Solution",
  "objective": "Analyze the uploaded product image and create a bold direct-response advertisement that visually splits the customer's pain points from the uploaded product's benefits in a symmetrical two-panel comparison. Generate all copy dynamically.",
  "canvas": {
    "aspect_ratio": "9:16",
    "background": "Vertical split canvas. Left half dark moody purple, navy or charcoal representing the problem. Right half bright pink, coral or a saturated brand color representing the solution."
  },
  "scene": {
    "style": "Modern DTC promotional creative with bold color blocking and playful iconography.",
    "lighting": "Flat vibrant lighting with no depth on the left dark half, and clean commercial studio lighting on the right bright half."
  },
  "composition": {
    "left_panel": {
      "header": {
        "placement": "Top center of the left half.",
        "template": "The Problem",
        "typography": "Elegant serif in white or off-white."
      },
      "layout": "3-4 concise pain points arranged vertically. Each pain point is enclosed in a small rounded rectangular box with an accompanying frowning or negative emoji-style icon.",
      "instruction": "Generate customer frustrations that the uploaded product directly solves."
    },
    "right_panel": {
      "header": {
        "placement": "Top center of the right half.",
        "template": "The Solution",
        "typography": "Elegant serif matching the left header, color adjusted for contrast."
      },
      "subheader": {
        "placement": "Beneath the header.",
        "instruction": "Generate a short credibility line such as 'Over {N} Happy Customers' with a believable customer count."
      },
      "hero_product": {
        "source": "Uploaded product image.",
        "placement": "Centered vertically in the right half occupying approximately 45% of the panel height.",
        "preserve": [
          "Packaging",
          "Brand",
          "Colors",
          "Shape",
          "Label"
        ]
      },
      "benefit_icons": {
        "layout": "3-4 small circular ingredient or benefit icons floating around the product with short one-word labels."
      }
    }
  },
  "copy_generation": {
    "reasoning": [
      "Identify the uploaded product and its category.",
      "Determine the target customer.",
      "Infer the 3-4 biggest daily frustrations that the product resolves.",
      "Generate 3-4 short benefit descriptors positioning the product as the counterpoint.",
      "Avoid exaggerated medical claims."
    ]
  },
  "design": {
    "style": "Bold DTC creative with heavy color contrast between the two halves.",
    "colors": "Dark cool tone on the problem side and bright warm tone on the solution side, chosen to complement the uploaded product.",
    "typography": "Elegant serif headers combined with clean sans-serif body text.",
    "feeling": "Contrast-driven, emotional, transformative, decisive and conversion-focused."
  },
  "rules": [
    "Always use the uploaded product on the solution side.",
    "Preserve the uploaded packaging exactly.",
    "Generate entirely original copy for both sides.",
    "Never copy the reference wording.",
    "Maintain strict visual symmetry between the two halves.",
    "The final advertisement should immediately dramatize the emotional shift from pain to relief."
  ]
}
Crossed Out Problems static ad example — A minimalist list of pain points struck through, ending in a Better You.

Crossed Out Problems

A minimalist list of pain points struck through, ending in a Better You.

Best for

Self-improvement, wellness, beauty, skincare and supplement products where the customer has clear frustrations. Premium, minimalist, editorial positioning.

The exact promptshow
{
  "id": "crossed_out_problems",
  "name": "Crossed Out Problems",
  "category": "Problem → Solution",
  "objective": "Analyze the uploaded product image and create a clean, premium direct-response advertisement that visually communicates the problems the customer leaves behind after using the product. Generate all messaging automatically based on the uploaded product.",
  "canvas": {
    "aspect_ratio": "9:16",
    "background": "Pure white or soft off-white with abundant negative space."
  },
  "scene": {
    "style": "Minimal editorial product advertisement with an Apple-inspired aesthetic. No decorative elements or clutter. The design should feel elegant, premium, and effortless.",
    "lighting": "Soft diffused studio lighting with subtle natural shadows."
  },
  "composition": {
    "problem_list": {
      "placement": "Upper third of the canvas.",
      "layout": "Create a centered vertical list of 4-6 short customer pain points automatically generated from the uploaded product. Every line should have a thin red strike-through running cleanly across the text, symbolizing problems being eliminated.",
      "typography": "Small modern serif or clean editorial font with generous spacing."
    },
    "headline": {
      "placement": "Center of the composition beneath the crossed-out list.",
      "template": "{NEW_BEGINNING}. Better You.",
      "instruction": "Generate a short optimistic headline based on the product category, similar in structure to 'New Routine. Better You.' or 'Better Skin. Better You.'. The second line should always end with 'Better You.'.",
      "typography": "Large elegant serif font with strong editorial styling."
    },
    "hero_product": {
      "source": "Uploaded product image.",
      "placement": "Bottom center held naturally in one hand entering from the lower edge of the frame, with the product becoming the visual focal point.",
      "preserve": [
        "Packaging",
        "Brand",
        "Colors",
        "Shape",
        "Label"
      ],
      "lighting": "Realistic hand lighting matching the product with soft shadows."
    }
  },
  "copy_generation": {
    "reasoning": [
      "Identify the uploaded product.",
      "Determine its primary customer.",
      "Infer the customer's biggest frustrations.",
      "Generate 4-6 concise pain points.",
      "Generate an aspirational two-line headline ending with 'Better You.'."
    ]
  },
  "design": {
    "style": "Luxury skincare editorial mixed with premium DTC advertising.",
    "colors": "Predominantly white with black typography and subtle red strike-through lines.",
    "typography": "Elegant serif headlines paired with clean editorial body text.",
    "feeling": "Minimal, aspirational, sophisticated, calming, and premium."
  },
  "rules": [
    "Always use the uploaded product.",
    "Generate entirely new copy.",
    "Never copy the reference text.",
    "Keep every crossed-out statement concise.",
    "Maintain abundant whitespace and minimalist composition.",
    "The final advertisement should feel like a luxury beauty campaign that communicates transformation through simplicity."
  ]
}
Us vs Us static ad example — Two variants of your own line, each perfect for a different moment.

Us vs Us

Two variants of your own line, each perfect for a different moment.

Best for

Brands with two or more variants, flavors or formats: day and night supplements, AM and PM skincare, coffee roasts, flavors. Requires a product line, not a single SKU.

The exact promptshow
{
  "id": "us_vs_us_variant_comparison",
  "name": "Us vs Us Variant Comparison",
  "category": "Comparison / Upsell",
  "objective": "Analyze the uploaded product image and create a premium direct-response advertisement that compares two variants of the same brand's product line side by side. Position each variant as the perfect fit for a slightly different customer moment. Generate all comparison copy dynamically.",
  "canvas": {
    "aspect_ratio": "9:16",
    "background": "Split vertical canvas with two matching mint, teal or soft brand-appropriate tones separated by a thin vertical line."
  },
  "scene": {
    "style": "Modern DTC ecommerce comparison creative with symmetrical composition.",
    "lighting": "Clean commercial studio lighting on both halves with matching shadows for symmetry."
  },
  "composition": {
    "vs_pill": {
      "placement": "Centered vertically and horizontally across the seam between both halves.",
      "style": "Small circular or pill-shaped badge with 'VS' in bold typography.",
      "color": "Contrasting accent color for visibility."
    },
    "headers": {
      "placement": "Top center of each half.",
      "typography": "Elegant serif in dark type.",
      "template": "Us vs Us",
      "instruction": "Both halves are labeled 'Us' to reinforce that both variants belong to the same brand."
    },
    "left_variant": {
      "hero_product": {
        "source": "Uploaded product image or clearly indicated first variant.",
        "placement": "Centered vertically in the left half occupying approximately 40% of the panel height.",
        "preserve": [
          "Packaging",
          "Brand",
          "Colors",
          "Shape",
          "Label"
        ]
      },
      "benefit_list": {
        "layout": "4 concise bullet points beneath the product describing the variant's ideal moment or use case.",
        "instruction": "Generate benefits framed around when and why this specific variant is best."
      }
    },
    "right_variant": {
      "hero_product": {
        "source": "Second variant of the same product line generated based on the uploaded product's brand and category.",
        "placement": "Centered vertically in the right half occupying approximately 40% of the panel height.",
        "preserve": [
          "Brand consistency with the uploaded product"
        ]
      },
      "benefit_list": {
        "layout": "4 concise bullet points beneath the second variant describing its distinct use case.",
        "instruction": "Generate benefits framed around a different moment or need."
      }
    }
  },
  "copy_generation": {
    "reasoning": [
      "Identify the uploaded product and its category.",
      "Infer a believable second variant from the same brand line.",
      "Determine the two distinct customer moments or needs each variant serves.",
      "Generate 4 benefit points per variant that make the choice feel like a lifestyle preference rather than a downgrade.",
      "Avoid disparaging either variant."
    ]
  },
  "design": {
    "style": "Modern DTC symmetrical comparison creative.",
    "colors": "Matching mint or teal tones on both halves with dark typography and one contrasting VS badge.",
    "typography": "Elegant serif headers paired with clean sans-serif body copy.",
    "feeling": "Balanced, considered, premium, calm and lifestyle-oriented."
  },
  "rules": [
    "Always use the uploaded product on one side.",
    "Generate a believable brand-consistent second variant for the opposite side.",
    "Preserve the uploaded packaging exactly.",
    "Generate entirely original comparison copy.",
    "Never copy reference wording.",
    "The final advertisement should feel like a brand invitation to choose your own moment rather than a competitive smackdown."
  ]
}
You Can Avoid static ad example — A split showing a competitor complaint vs your clean alternative.

You Can Avoid

A split showing a competitor complaint vs your clean alternative.

Best for

Products that fix a common competitor complaint: supplements, beauty, food, devices. Needs a known category gripe.

The exact promptshow
{
  "id": "you_can_avoid_switch",
  "name": "You Can Avoid the Switch",
  "category": "Comparison / Switch Pitch",
  "objective": "Analyze the uploaded product image and create a premium direct-response advertisement split into two panels. The left panel shows a common competitor experience with a circled customer complaint. The right panel presents the uploaded product as the clean alternative with clear benefits. Generate all copy dynamically.",
  "canvas": {
    "aspect_ratio": "9:16",
    "background": "Split vertical canvas. Left half warm cream or off-white. Right half muted mint, teal or brand-derived accent."
  },
  "scene": {
    "style": "Modern DTC comparison creative with symmetrical composition.",
    "lighting": "Clean commercial studio lighting on both halves with matching shadows for symmetry."
  },
  "composition": {
    "left_panel": {
      "header": {
        "placement": "Top of the left half.",
        "template": "You Can Easily Avoid This",
        "typography": "Elegant serif in dark charcoal."
      },
      "content": "Screenshot-style rendering of a fake competitor review or complaint card in the center. Include a circled or arrow-highlighted phrase that captures the pain point.",
      "generic_product": "Generate a generic competitor product image, blurred or lightly rendered, sitting behind the review card."
    },
    "right_panel": {
      "header": {
        "placement": "Top of the right half.",
        "template": "Switch to {UPLOADED_PRODUCT_CATEGORY}",
        "typography": "Elegant serif in cream or white for contrast."
      },
      "hero_product": {
        "source": "Uploaded product image.",
        "placement": "Center of the right half occupying approximately 45% of the panel height.",
        "preserve": [
          "Packaging",
          "Brand",
          "Colors",
          "Shape",
          "Label"
        ]
      },
      "benefit_bullets": {
        "layout": "3 checkmarked benefit lines beneath the product.",
        "instruction": "Generate 3 short benefits that directly counter the pain point highlighted on the left."
      },
      "trust_callout": {
        "placement": "Small floating badge overlapping the product.",
        "instruction": "Generate a short credibility tag such as 'Clinically Proven', 'No Side Effects', or another believable trust marker."
      }
    }
  },
  "copy_generation": {
    "reasoning": [
      "Identify the uploaded product and its category.",
      "Determine the target customer.",
      "Infer the most common competitor complaint in the category.",
      "Generate 3 benefits that specifically resolve that complaint.",
      "Avoid naming specific real competitor brands.",
      "Avoid unsupported medical claims."
    ]
  },
  "design": {
    "style": "Modern DTC symmetrical comparison creative.",
    "colors": "Warm cream on the left and muted mint or teal on the right, with dark serif typography.",
    "typography": "Elegant serif headers paired with clean sans-serif body copy.",
    "feeling": "Contrast-driven, decisive, clarifying, credible and premium."
  },
  "rules": [
    "Always use the uploaded product on the right side.",
    "Preserve the uploaded packaging exactly.",
    "Generate entirely original comparison copy.",
    "Never copy reference wording.",
    "Never name specific real competitor brands.",
    "The final advertisement should immediately position the uploaded product as the obvious switch."
  ]
}

Why the format works

It shows the outcome instead of claiming it

Most ads describe a benefit. A before and after demonstrates it in a form the reader can verify with their own eyes in under a second, which skips the entire step where they decide whether to believe you.

The 'before' does the recruiting

Readers self-select on the left-hand image. Someone who recognises their own situation in the 'before' is already qualified by the time they reach the 'after'. Making the before more specific narrows the audience and raises the conversion rate at the same time.

Contrast is legible at thumbnail size

A split composition reads as a comparison even when the image is too small to see detail. The format communicates its own genre before any of the content is processed.

Use it when

  • Products with a visible physical result: cleaning, grooming, repair, organisation, restoration
  • Anything where the 'before' is a state the customer is embarrassed about
  • Categories with a clear old way and new way
  • Products whose benefit is hard to describe but obvious to see

Skip it when

  • The result is not visual, such as software, services or anything measured in time saved
  • The improvement is real but subtle enough that the two images look similar
  • You are in a regulated category where before-and-after imagery has legal restrictions, notably health, weight loss and cosmetic treatments

Three mistakes that kill this format

Changing the lighting, angle or crop between the two shots

Any inconsistency makes the whole comparison look staged. Keep everything identical except the thing the product changed.

An exaggerated before

A comically bad before destroys the credibility of the after. Readers know what a real one looks like, and they downgrade the claim rather than the image.

Leaving out how long it took

A result with no timeframe reads as a best case. Naming the duration, even a slow one, converts better than implying it was instant.

Other ad formats

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