Key takeaways
- Format: Campaign Story with an honest, slightly funny headline
- Best for: Trail running and outdoor brands selling to people who go out in any weather
- Hook: Admitting the outdoors can be miserable makes the brand feel real
- Reuse it: Write one honest line about the downside of your category and own it
Available sizes
What is a lifestyle ad?
A lifestyle ad shows the product being used in a real setting by the kind of person who buys it. Instead of listing features, it sells the feeling or outcome of owning the product, which makes it a strong fit for fashion, home, travel and wellness brands.
See all lifestyle ads →Why this lifestyle ad works
- 01
Honesty stops the scroll
Most outdoor ads show perfect sunshine, so a line that admits you might hate it feels fresh and relatable.
- 02
A doorway as a threshold
The man standing in the trailer door shows the moment of choice, inside and dry or outside and wet.
- 03
Product pops in a grey scene
The bright blue shoes are the most saturated color in a grey, rainy frame.
- 04
Campaign system, new story
The same split 'It Starts Outside' line keeps brand recognition while each ad tells a different story.
Full creative breakdown
Who this ad targets
This ad targets trail runners and outdoor regulars aged 25 to 45 who train or travel through all seasons, including van-lifers and campers. It speaks to people who know the outdoors is not always pleasant but go anyway, and who take pride in that. It also reaches casual exercisers with a light, humorous tone that makes a tough day outside sound like a story worth having.
Copywriting analysis
The headline 'To love outside, you might have to hate it first.' uses a paradox to make readers pause. It is self-aware and slightly funny, a contrast to the usual heroic tone of outdoor ads. 'Might' softens it and keeps it friendly. The line builds a shared feeling with people who have pushed through rain or cold, and implies that Merrell understands real conditions. The campaign tagline then turns the moment into a beginning. No product name is shown, so the ad builds brand affinity rather than direct sales.
Visual design
The composition is centered on the trailer door, which acts as a frame within the frame. A cool grey and silver palette with rain streaks sets a moody tone, while small accents of orange (cap, trim, logo) and blue (shoes, shorts) bring warmth and draw the eye. The split headline sits at mid-height either side of the subject. Text at top and logo at bottom keep the Story safe zones clear.
How to adapt this template for your brand
- Find the honest downside of your category, like rain, early alarms or hard work.
- Write a one-line paradox that turns that downside into a reason to buy.
- Shoot your subject at a threshold moment such as a door, a start line or a car door.
- Keep the scene muted and make your product the brightest color in the frame.
- Repeat your campaign tagline in the same position across all versions.
Tips for footwear ads on Meta
Built for Instagram and Facebook Stories and Reels, where it fills the full screen. Keep the product name and logo out of the top 14% and bottom 20% so the profile bar and CTA button do not cover them. Pair it with a short primary text and a Shop Now button, and run it next to a 4:5 feed version of the same shot so Advantage+ placements can serve the right crop. Refresh the creative every two to three weeks to avoid fatigue.
About this creative
A vertical Story ad in Merrell's 'It Starts Outside' campaign. A silver Airstream-style travel trailer fills the frame, and a man stands in its rounded doorway, one foot on the metal step, ready to go out into the rain. Rain streaks are visible across the image and the ground below is dark and wet. He wears an orange cap, a white tee with a rainbow 'trail marathon' stripe, teal running shorts, dark socks and bright blue Merrell trail running shoes, which stand out against the grey metal. His expression is calm and a little resigned, as if deciding to go anyway. At the top, a small two-line headline reads 'To love outside, you might have to hate it first.' The campaign line 'It Starts Outside' is split across the middle, framing him in the door. The orange Merrell logo and wordmark sit centered at the bottom, near a strip of orange trim on the trailer.
Meta ad · 338 × 600 · Footwear
Merrell 'To Love Outside, You Might Have to Hate It First' Ad
This Merrell 'It Starts Outside' Story ad shows a runner stepping out of a silver travel trailer into the rain. Its honest line, 'To love outside, you might have to hate it first', makes bad weather part of the fun. It is a 9:16 Meta creative for brand awareness in the trail running space.
Added
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Details
Ad copy
Primary text
Rain, mud, cold mornings. The best days outside don't always start pretty. Merrell trail shoes are built for every kind of weather. It starts outside.
Description
Trail shoes built for any weather.
On-image text
To love outside, you might have to hate it first. | It Starts Outside | MERRELL
Headline ideas for this template
- 1Rain is just part of the run
- 2Bad weather makes better stories
- 3Built for the days you'd rather stay in
- 4Go anyway
- 5The best runs start with a doubt
Meta image ad specs
| Placement | Ratio | Size (px) |
|---|---|---|
| Feed | 1:1 or 4:5 | 1080×1080 / 1080×1350 |
| Marketplace | 1:1 | 1200×1200 |
| Messenger inbox | 1:1 | 1200×1200 |
| Stories & Reels | 9:16 | 1080×1920 |
This template is 1:1. Request 4:5 or 9:16 to cover all placements.
