# Midjourney Prompts for Startup Ads: 20 Scroll-Stopping Templates > 20 Midjourney prompts for startup ads: hero banners, product visuals, social proof, lifestyle, and abstract concepts. Structure and parameters. > Author: Roman Belov · Published: 2026-07-17 · Source: https://futurecraft.pro/blog/midjourney-startup-ads/ Ads with AI-generated visuals often show higher CTR than stock photos. The reason is novelty: unfamiliar, non-stock imagery is less subject to banner blindness than recognizable stock shots the user has already seen on a dozen other sites. When the baseline banner CTR sits around 0.1%, even a moderate lift meaningfully changes campaign economics. Midjourney v8.1 generates photorealistic and stylized images ready for ad creatives without additional Photoshop work. This article contains 20 prompts across five categories of advertising visuals for startups. Each prompt follows a proven formula, with an explanation of its structure and parameters. ## Midjourney Prompt Structure for Ad Creatives A Midjourney prompt has four blocks. Order matters: elements earlier in the prompt carry more weight. **Block 1: Subject.** The main object — a person, a product, a scene. **Block 2: Environment and context.** Background, lighting, atmosphere. This sets the visual mood. **Block 3: Style and medium.** Photography, illustration, 3D render. Specifying camera, lens, and film type pushes results toward realism. **Block 4: Parameters.** Technical settings after `--`. Formula: `[subject] + [environment] + [style] + [parameters]` ### Key Midjourney Parameters for Advertising | Parameter | Value | Use in Advertising | |-----------|-------|--------------------| | `--ar` | Aspect ratio | `16:9` for hero banners, `1:1` for social feeds, `9:16` for Stories | | `--s` | Stylization (0–1000) | Low values (50–150) for realistic product shots, high values (500+) for abstract concepts | | `--c` | Chaos (0–100) | 0–20 for predictable ad results, 50+ for experimental visuals | | `--hd` / `--sd` | HD / Standard definition | `--hd` for final creatives (native 2048px render), `--sd` for fast composition testing | | `--no` | Negative prompt | Exclude unwanted elements: `--no text, watermark, blurry` | | `--style raw` | Minimal stylization | For photorealistic product shots | ## Hero Banners: Visuals for Landing Pages and Above-the-Fold Screens A hero banner is the first thing someone sees on a landing page. Its job: communicate the value proposition visually in 2–3 seconds. Wide format, prominent subject, clean background for text overlay. ### Prompt 1: SaaS Product — Tech Hero ``` A sleek holographic dashboard floating in mid-air, showing real-time analytics with glowing data streams, dark navy background with subtle gradient to deep purple, volumetric lighting from above creating soft shadows, photorealistic 3D render, ultra-detailed, cinematic composition with negative space on the left for text overlay --ar 16:9 --s 200 --hd --no text, watermark ``` The prompt places negative space on the left — reserved for a headline and CTA. The dark background pairs with white text without any additional processing. ### Prompt 2: Fintech Startup — Trust and Reliability ``` Close-up of hands holding a transparent glass smartphone displaying a banking app interface with floating golden coins emerging from the screen, warm studio lighting, shallow depth of field, clean white marble surface, shot on Canon EOS R5 with 85mm f/1.4 lens, commercial photography style --ar 16:9 --s 100 --style raw --hd --no blurry, distorted fingers ``` Specifying a real camera and lens pushes Midjourney toward photorealism. `--style raw` strips out the artistic processing. ### Prompt 3: HealthTech — Cleanliness and Care ``` A modern minimalist clinic interior bathed in soft natural light from floor-to- ceiling windows, a single green plant in the foreground, blurred medical professional in white coat walking in the background, pastel tones, architectural photography, wide angle, airy and calming atmosphere --ar 16:9 --s 150 --hd --no dark, gloomy ``` The pastel palette and natural light read as safe rather than sterile — use this for healthtech and wellness brands where a cold clinical look pushes users away. ### Prompt 4: EdTech — Engagement and Growth ``` Aerial view of a vast library where books are transforming into streams of light flying upward, warm golden hour lighting, each light stream a different pastel color representing different subjects, cinematic wide shot, hyper-detailed, magical realism style --ar 16:9 --s 350 --hd ``` High stylization (`--s 350`) produces something photography can't replicate. That's exactly what makes it stand out from stock imagery. ## Product Visuals: Showing the Product in Context A product visual shows the product in use or in an idealized setting. The goal: make the viewer want to try it. Focus on the object, minimal distractions. ### Prompt 5: Mobile App — Mockup in Hand ``` A person's hand holding an iPhone 17 Pro with a clean app interface on screen, the phone slightly tilted at 15 degrees, soft bokeh background of a modern co-working space with warm ambient lighting, natural skin tones, commercial product photography, shot at eye level --ar 4:5 --s 80 --style raw --hd --no cracked screen, case ``` The `4:5` format works well for Instagram feeds. Low stylization combined with `--style raw` produces results that look like professional photography. ### Prompt 6: Physical Product — Hero Shot ``` A matte black smart home device on a polished concrete surface, single dramatic side light creating a long shadow, dark moody background, product floating slightly above surface with subtle reflection, Apple-style product photography, ultra-sharp focus, 8K resolution --ar 1:1 --s 100 --style raw --hd --no dust, fingerprints ``` Dramatic side lighting against a dark background is the Apple-style formula for positioning a physical device as premium. ### Prompt 7: Desktop App — Workspace Context ``` A MacBook Pro on a clean oak desk showing a project management dashboard, surrounded by a ceramic coffee cup, succulent plant, and wireless mouse, morning sunlight streaming through window creating warm patches on desk, top-down flat lay composition, lifestyle product photography --ar 16:9 --s 120 --style raw --hd --no clutter, messy ``` The flat-lay workspace props place the product in a real-use context — useful for desktop tools that are hard to show "in hand" the way mobile apps are. ### Prompt 8: Wearable Device — Lifestyle Context ``` Forearm of a runner wearing a sleek fitness tracker with glowing green health metrics on display, motion blur on the background suggesting speed, early morning park setting with dew on grass, dynamic angle from below, sports photography with fast shutter speed feel, vibrant colors --ar 4:5 --s 150 --hd --no sweaty, dirty ``` Motion blur and a dynamic low angle convey activity in the moment — this reads better for fitness and wearable products than a static product shot. ## Social Proof Visuals: Trust Through Social Evidence Social proof visuals show mass adoption, real people, real results. They work at the consideration stage — when a user knows about the product but hasn't decided to try it. ### Prompt 9: Team Using the Product ``` A diverse team of four professionals gathered around a large monitor in a bright modern office, genuinely engaged expressions, one person pointing at the screen, collaborative atmosphere, natural unposed body language, warm overhead lighting mixed with daylight, editorial photography style, Canon EOS R5 --ar 16:9 --s 80 --style raw --hd --no stock photo, staged ``` The key ingredients here: `natural unposed body language` and `--no stock photo, staged`. Without the negative prompt, Midjourney defaults to stiff ad-style poses. ### Prompt 10: Scale of Audience — Event Shot ``` A packed conference hall seen from the stage perspective, hundreds of attendees holding up smartphones, screens creating a sea of light, main stage with a large screen showing a product logo placeholder, energetic atmosphere, event photography with wide angle lens, slight lens flare --ar 16:9 --s 200 --hd --no empty seats ``` ### Prompt 11: Customer Testimonial — Portrait ``` Portrait of a confident female entrepreneur in her 30s, sitting in a modern cafe, genuine warm smile, looking slightly off-camera, soft window light illuminating her face, shallow depth of field with bokeh background, neutral earth-tone clothing, headshot composition with space below for quote text --ar 3:4 --s 80 --style raw --hd --no heavy makeup, glamorous ``` The `3:4` format leaves room at the bottom for the testimonial text. The prompt produces a believable look rather than a polished one. ### Prompt 12: Before/After Result ``` Split composition: left side shows a cluttered chaotic desk with papers and sticky notes everywhere in desaturated blue tones, right side shows the same desk perfectly organized with a single laptop and clean workspace in warm golden tones, dramatic lighting contrast between both sides, overhead perspective --ar 16:9 --s 150 --hd --no text, labels ``` A split composition in one image. Midjourney follows "left/right side" descriptions reliably. ## Lifestyle Visuals: The Product as Part of Life Lifestyle visuals put the product inside the daily life of your target audience. They work emotionally: "I want that kind of life, and this product is part of it." Standard placement: Instagram, Facebook Ads, Stories. ### Prompt 13: Remote Worker — Productivity ``` A focused young professional working on a laptop at a sunlit balcony overlooking a Mediterranean coastal town, morning coffee beside the laptop, relaxed but productive posture, wearing casual linen shirt, warm golden hour light, travel lifestyle photography, 35mm film grain --ar 4:5 --s 200 --hd --no messy, tired ``` `35mm film grain` adds authenticity. Stylization at `200` balances realism with aspiration. ### Prompt 14: Young Founder — Energy ``` A young entrepreneur walking through a bustling startup district, carrying a laptop under arm, confident stride, modern city architecture with glass buildings reflecting sunset colors, street photography style, captured in motion with slight motion blur on background, 28mm wide angle perspective --ar 9:16 --s 150 --hd --no suit, formal ``` `9:16` is the format for Instagram Stories and TikTok. Street photography style carries energy and movement into the frame. ### Prompt 15: Family Use Case ``` A parent and child sitting together on a cozy sofa, both looking at a tablet screen with delighted expressions, warm living room with soft lamp lighting, knitted blanket, rainy evening visible through window, intimate family moment, documentary photography style --ar 1:1 --s 100 --style raw --hd --no dark, scary ``` Warm domestic lighting and a family setting fit consumer products with a broad household audience — kids' EdTech, smart home devices, and similar categories. ### Prompt 16: Fitness and Wellness ``` A woman checking her smartwatch after a morning yoga session on a rooftop terrace, city skyline in soft focus behind her, sunrise painting the sky in pink and orange gradients, yoga mat and water bottle nearby, wellness lifestyle photography, clean and aspirational mood --ar 4:5 --s 180 --hd --no gym, weights, sweaty ``` Morning light and wellness props (mat, water bottle) build an aspirational mood without showing the product directly — use this when the focus is lifestyle, not features. ## Abstract Concepts: Visualizing Ideas and Values Abstract visuals communicate ideas — speed, security, growth. They work for branding, awareness campaigns, and situations where showing the product directly isn't possible: APIs, infrastructure, B2B platforms. ### Prompt 17: Growth and Scaling ``` An infinite staircase made of translucent glass blocks ascending through clouds, each step slightly larger than the previous, warm sunlight breaking through cloud gaps creating god rays, tiny silhouette of a person on the middle step for scale, surreal architectural photography, hyper-detailed --ar 1:1 --s 500 --hd --no dark, dystopian ``` High stylization (`--s 500`) fits abstract concepts well. The human silhouette gives it scale and a point of identification. ### Prompt 18: Security and Data Protection ``` A geometric shield made of interconnected glowing blue hexagons floating in a dark digital void, streams of encrypted data flowing around it like a protective barrier, cyberpunk color palette with electric blue and deep black, volumetric fog, 3D render with subsurface scattering --ar 1:1 --s 400 --hd --no cracks, broken ``` The hexagonal shield is a visual metaphor for security products that have nothing physical to photograph. ### Prompt 19: Speed and Efficiency ``` A single paper airplane made of pure white light streaking through a tunnel of blurred neon data streams, extreme motion blur on background, the airplane itself perfectly sharp and focused, long exposure photography feel, contrasting stillness and speed, dramatic perspective from low angle --ar 16:9 --s 300 --hd --no slow, static ``` The contrast between a sharp subject and a blurred background visualizes speed without words — use it for performance and infrastructure products. ### Prompt 20: Connection and Integration ``` Thousands of thin golden threads converging from all directions into a single luminous sphere in the center, each thread representing a connection, dark gradient background from deep navy to black, the sphere emitting warm light that illuminates nearby threads, macro photography of an impossible object, ultra-detailed --ar 1:1 --s 450 --hd --no tangled, messy ``` Converging threads meeting at one point is an integration metaphor for API and platform products that have no physical form to photograph. ## Adapting Prompts to Ad Formats One prompt generates a visual for one format. A real campaign needs adaptation across multiple placements. Three parameters to adjust. **Aspect ratio (`--ar`).** Each platform has its format: | Placement | Format | Parameter | |-----------|--------|-----------| | Facebook/Instagram Feed | 1:1 | `--ar 1:1` | | Instagram Stories/Reels | 9:16 | `--ar 9:16` | | Landing page hero | 16:9 | `--ar 16:9` | | LinkedIn post | 1.91:1 | `--ar 191:100` | | Google Display | 300x250 | `--ar 6:5` | **Negative space.** For banners that need text overlays, add: `with generous negative space on [left/right/top/bottom] for text overlay`. Midjourney will leave that area clean. **Stylization.** Social media responds better to vivid, high-contrast visuals (`--s 300–500`). Landing pages tend to work better with moderate stylization (`--s 100–200`), closer to photography. ## Common Mistakes in Ad Visual Prompts **Text in the image.** Midjourney generates text with errors. Always add `--no text, letters, words` and overlay copy in Figma or Canva. **Hands and fingers.** Despite improvements in v8.1, complex hand poses are still unreliable. Use `--no distorted fingers, extra fingers` and check every result. **Logos and brand elements.** Midjourney doesn't reproduce existing logos accurately. Generate the visual without a logo and add it during compositing. **Over-detailing.** Long prompts with 15+ elements produce chaotic results. Keep it to 7–10 key descriptors. Everything else splits the model's attention. **Missing negative prompt.** The `--no` parameter matters in advertising. Minimum set for any ad visual: `--no text, watermark, blurry, distorted`. ## Workflow: From Prompt to Ad Creative Generating an ad visual is four steps. **Step 1: Generate variants.** Run the prompt with `--sd` for fast testing. Midjourney gives you four options. Evaluate composition and direction. **Step 2: Iterate.** Pick the best option (U1–U4), adjust the prompt, and repeat 2–3 times. Use Vary (Subtle) for minor tweaks or Vary (Strong) for bigger changes. **Step 3: Final render.** Switch to `--hd` for a native 2048px render with no separate upscale step. **Step 4: Post-processing.** Add text, logo, and CTA in Figma. Export at the required sizes for each placement. That's when the visual becomes a finished creative. How to turn one visual into a creative set for five platforms is covered in the article on [content repurposing with AI](/blog/content-repurposing-ai-formula/). ## Pre-Generation Checklist 1. Define placement and format (`--ar`) 2. Choose visual category (hero, product, social proof, lifestyle, abstract) 3. State the subject in the first 5 words of the prompt 4. Specify lighting and atmosphere 5. Choose style (photography, 3D render, illustration) 6. Add `--no text, watermark, blurry, distorted` 7. Test with `--sd`, finalize with `--hd` 8. Check hands, faces, and text for artifacts 9. Leave space for text overlay 10. Export and adapt for all required placements --- *Need help creating AI-generated ad creatives for your startup? I help startups build marketing systems at [belov.marketing](https://belov.marketing) and develop AI solutions at [belov.works](https://belov.works).* ## FAQ **How do you maintain visual consistency across a multi-ad campaign when every Midjourney generation is unique?** Consistency comes from locking the non-negotiable elements in every prompt rather than from any single generation. Save a "brand style block" — a 20-30 word string that encodes your color palette, lighting direction, and photography style — and append it to every prompt in the campaign. For example: "warm amber studio lighting, matte product surfaces, navy-to-white gradient background, commercial photography, Canon EOS R5." Running the same style block across all prompts produces a family of images that reads as a campaign even though each image is independently generated. **What is the practical difference between using --style raw and keeping the default stylization for product shots?** Without `--style raw`, Midjourney applies aesthetic processing that makes images look more artistic and painterly — useful for abstract concepts but harmful for product photography, where you need photorealistic textures, accurate reflections, and clean surfaces. `--style raw` removes that layer and lets the subject and lighting description do the visual work. Pair it with low `--s` values (50-150) and a specific camera reference for the most realistic product shots. The tradeoff: `--style raw` is less forgiving of vague prompts and requires more precise environmental descriptions. **When should you use a human silhouette in abstract concept visuals, and when should you avoid it?** Include a silhouette when the concept needs a scale reference or a point of human identification — growth (the staircase in Prompt 17), connection, journey. It prevents the image from feeling purely decorative. Avoid it when the concept needs to communicate pure data, technology, or infrastructure without anthropomorphizing the subject — security shields, data streams, API integration visualizations. A silhouette in those contexts can make the image feel like stock photography rather than a conceptual ad, which defeats the purpose of using Midjourney in the first place.