Woman in knit cardigan, crop top and lace skirt steps out of a lit orange dome tent at night wearing pink Merrell shoes — A lit orange tent turns a campsite into a stage for Merrell's festival styling.

Key takeaways

Format: Campaign lifestyle portrait with split headline framing the model
Best for: Brand awareness campaigns that move a product into a new lifestyle scene
Hook: 'From trailheads to festivals' bridges the brand's past with a new audience
Reuse it: Use a split headline with your subject standing in the gap

Available sizes

Meta Stories/Reels (9:16)338 × 600 · JPG

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
A glowing hero object
The lit tent acts like a frame and a light source, drawing the eye straight to the model in the doorway.
02
Split headline creates depth
The model stands between 'It Starts' and 'Outside', which makes the image feel layered and campaign-grade.
03
Color ties brand to scene
The orange tent matches the orange Merrell logo, so the brand feels part of the photo rather than stamped on.
04
New context, same product
Showing trail shoes at a festival tells shoppers they can wear them beyond the hike.

Full creative breakdown

Who this ad targets

This ad targets young adults aged 18 to 34 who go to music festivals, camp with friends and dress with a bohemian or gorpcore style. They may not see themselves as hikers, so the ad gives them permission to wear Merrell for social, outdoor weekends. It also speaks to existing Merrell fans by keeping the trailhead in the opening line, showing the brand is widening, not leaving its core.

Copywriting analysis

The supporting line 'From trailheads to festivals.' is short and does a clear job: it names the old use case and the new one in the same breath, so the brand stretch feels natural. The headline 'It Starts Outside' is a campaign tagline rather than a product message, built to work across many executions. It is open enough to apply to hiking, camping or a night out, and it gives Merrell a positive, inviting tone. There is no product name or offer, which marks this as upper-funnel brand work.

Visual design

Centered, symmetrical composition with the tent as a giant orange shape filling most of the frame. Warm interior light contrasts with the cool, dark night sky, creating a cinematic mood. The model's pink shoes are placed low and centered, the only pink in the image, so they catch attention. White headline text is split around the model. The orange logo at the bottom repeats the tent color for a strong brand link.

How to adapt this template for your brand

Pick a new lifestyle scene where your product can show up (festival, campsite, city).
Find a large, colorful object that frames your subject, like a tent, door or car.
Light the scene so the subject glows against a darker background.
Split your campaign line into two halves and place the subject in the gap.
Match your logo color to a dominant color in the photo.

Tips for footwear ads on Meta

The 4:5 portrait size takes the most screen space in the Facebook and Instagram feeds, so it is the default choice for feed placements. Keep the headline in the top third, where it is seen before the caption expands. Add a 9:16 version for Stories and Reels and let Advantage+ placements pick. Primary text should stay under 125 characters so it shows without the 'more' cut-off, and the CTA should be Shop Now.

About this creative

A portrait feed ad from Merrell's 'It Starts Outside' campaign. At dusk on a grassy campsite, a large orange dome tent glows from inside, lit like a lantern against dark trees and hills. A young woman steps out of the tent door toward the camera, dressed in festival style: a chunky navy knit cardigan, white crop top, beaded necklaces and a sheer green lace skirt. On her feet are bright pink and orange Merrell trail shoes, the only strong pink in the frame. A small line at the top reads 'From trailheads to festivals.' The campaign line 'It Starts Outside' is split across the middle of the image, 'It Starts' on the left and 'Outside' on the right, with the model standing in the gap so she breaks through the headline. A car's headlights glow in the background on the right. The orange Merrell M logo and MERRELL wordmark sit centered at the bottom, echoing the tent color.

Meta ad · 338 × 600 · Footwear

Merrell 'It Starts Outside' Festival Camping Ad

This Merrell brand campaign ad shows a festival-goer stepping out of a glowing orange tent at night under the line 'It Starts Outside'. It is a 4:5 portrait feed creative for Meta that shows how an outdoor footwear brand can stretch into festival and lifestyle culture without losing its trail roots.

Added 11 Oct 2026