Key takeaways
- Format: Metaphor lifestyle photo with recruitment copy overlay
- Best for: University and hospital clinical trial recruitment
- Hook: Scissors cutting a cigarette, a visual shorthand for cutting the habit
- Reuse it: Swap the metaphor image for your condition and keep eligibility copy on a gradient
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
Instant visual metaphor
Scissors cutting a cigarette says quit smoking without reading a word.
- 02
Clear eligibility
Age range and daily smoking criteria let viewers self-qualify before clicking, improving lead quality.
- 03
Drug-free reassurance
Highlighting an FDA-cleared, non-invasive, drug-free treatment lowers fear of side effects or medication.
- 04
Institutional trust
The MUSC logo signals a legitimate academic study rather than a commercial offer.
Full creative breakdown
Who this ad targets
This ad targets adults aged 22 to 70 in and around South Carolina who smoke cigarettes daily and want to quit. It particularly appeals to smokers who have tried patches, gum or medication without success, or who prefer to avoid drugs. Research-minded people and those motivated by contributing to science may also respond. Recruiters typically use location radius targeting around MUSC in Charleston with age filters, since platforms restrict targeting by health behaviour.
Copywriting analysis
The copy reads like a standard IRB-approved recruitment notice: who is recruiting, who is eligible and what to do next. Naming the institution first builds trust, and the specific age range and daily smoking requirement filter out unqualified clicks. The CTA See if you are eligible is soft and low-commitment, fitting a sensitive health decision. The disclaimer is the most persuasive line, stacking reassuring adjectives: FDA-cleared, innovative, non-invasive, drug-free. The main weakness is length; the paragraph is long for a story placement, and leading with a short question could improve thumb-stopping.
Visual design
The vertical 9:16 layout uses the top half for the image and the bottom half for text, connected by a blue gradient that matches MUSC's brand colour. The scissors and cigarette sit diagonally, creating tension and drawing the eye downward to the copy. Large white text on the dark gradient ensures legibility on mobile. Logos are small and tucked top left, keeping the focus on the metaphor and message.
How to adapt this template for your brand
- Find a simple visual metaphor for ending the behaviour, such as cutting, breaking or crossing out.
- Apply a brand-colour gradient overlay that darkens where text will sit.
- Write one paragraph naming the institution, eligibility criteria and a soft CTA.
- Add a short disclaimer line highlighting the treatment's safety or approval status.
- Place institutional logos small in a top corner and confirm copy matches your IRB-approved wording.
Tips for smoking cessation ads on Meta
Use this in Meta Stories and Reels placements and leave the bottom 15 percent free of key text for the CTA overlay. Clinical trial ads must match IRB-approved language, so get the creative approved before launch. Target by location radius and age, not by health interests. Shorter headline tests, such as Want to quit smoking?, often lift click-through. Send traffic to a short pre-screening form.
About this creative
This vertical story ad from the Medical University of South Carolina uses a single striking metaphor: a close-up of a hand holding a cigarette while a pair of scissors snips through it. The photo is washed with a soft blue-grey gradient that deepens toward the bottom, creating a cool, clinical mood and a dark area for text. The MUSC logo and a circular brain-imaging lab logo sit in the top-left corner, establishing academic credibility. The lower half carries a long block of large white sans-serif copy explaining that MUSC is looking for individuals aged 22 to 70 who smoke daily and want to quit, ending with the invitation See if you are eligible. A small italic disclaimer at the bottom highlights that the study uses an FDA-cleared, innovative, non-invasive, drug-free treatment, likely brain stimulation. The ad trades flashy design for clarity, letting the cutting visual communicate quitting while the text handles eligibility.
Meta ad · 338 × 600 · Smoking Cessation
Smoking Cessation Study Ad: Scissors Cutting a Cigarette
This vertical MUSC ad recruits daily smokers aged 22 to 70 for a quit-smoking research study using an FDA-cleared, drug-free treatment. A close-up of scissors cutting a cigarette carries the message. Use it as a template for clinical trial recruitment, university research and healthcare stories on Meta.
Added
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Details
Ad copy
Primary text
Ready to quit smoking? The Medical University of South Carolina is recruiting adults ages 22–70 who smoke cigarettes daily for a research study testing an FDA-cleared, non-invasive, drug-free treatment for smoking cessation. See if you're eligible.
Description
FDA-cleared, drug-free treatment study for daily smokers.
On-image text
MUSC Medical University of South Carolina | Medical University of South Carolina is looking for individuals ages 22-70 who smoke cigarettes daily and want to quit smoking to participate in a research study. See if you are eligible. | This study uses an FDA-cleared, innovative, non-invasive, drug-free treatment for smoking cessation.
Headline ideas for this template
- 1Want to Quit Smoking? Join Our Research Study
- 2Daily Smoker? See If You Qualify
- 3Try a Drug-Free Way to Quit Smoking
- 4Help Research a New Quit-Smoking Treatment
- 5Cut the Habit With MUSC Research
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.
