AI Image & Video Brand Guide

How anyone — designer, agency, freelancer, or AI tool — produces on-brand still images and video for Blood Sugar Friendly™. Built to drop into the existing brand guidelines as a new section.

Generative AI tools (Midjourney, Sora, Veo, Runway, Firefly, ChatGPT image generation, and others) produce wildly different output depending on prompt structure. The bands of variation a brand can tolerate are narrow, so this document codifies the visual system as a small number of reusable patterns: six modes, a shared color system, a shared lighting vocabulary, and a small set of universal rules that apply to every asset.

Prompts in this guide are written in plain natural language so they work across tools. Where a tool expects a specific syntax (Midjourney's --ar 16:9, etc.), translate the natural-language equivalent into that tool's flags.

How to use this guide

1. Pick a mode (§6) that fits the deliverable — hero banner, social close-up, recipe shot, etc.
2. Pick a product line and use its color as the lead.
3. Fill the mode's prompt template, swapping the variables.
4. Append the universal negative prompts (§8) to every prompt.
5. For a campaign or series, add the campaign lock instruction (§10) so every image in the set stays visually identical except for the subject.

1 · The visual identity in one paragraph

Blood Sugar Friendly™ is a new brand for a new age of metabolic-health innovation. The visuals are vibrant, kinetic, and aspirational — modern, confident, and full of life. The energy reference is an Apple Watch product page: bold color, big imagery, energetic motion, and a youthful, in-motion mood. White is the connective tissue across the brand; the nine product-line colors carry the voltage. Imagery is photoreal, premium, and craveable — never clinical, never posed, never stocky.

2 · The color system

Color is the brand's most identifiable signal. There is no master brand color. Cross-product moments (homepage, brand films, founder story) are neutral-led, with product colors as bold accents. Product-specific moments run that product's color at full strength as the dominant visual.

Neutrals — the stage

The nine product colors — the lead

Each product line owns one color. In any image featuring a single line, that color is the dominant chromatic element — the gradient background, the surface accent, the prop palette, the wardrobe pop.

Color rules

When prompting, name the dominant color explicitly using a vivid descriptor the model will recognize, then pin it with the hex value in parentheses. For example: "a vibrant orange-to-amber gradient (centered around #E47E26)". Most tools don't read hex literally, but the named-color anchor narrows the range. Cross-product or family shots default to clean white surfaces with the nine colors appearing only in the products themselves.

3 · Lighting languages

Five lighting moods recur across the brand. Each mode (§6) lists which one it uses.

Studio gradient. Soft, controlled, premium commercial. Smooth radial glow behind the subject. Subtle reflections, soft shadows beneath the product. Used for hero shots.

Hard natural sunlight. Bright direct sun streaming in, strong directional shadows, glowing highlights, summer-afternoon energy. Crisp condensation reads. Used for vibrant product macros.

Soft window light. Diffuse natural daylight from a large window, gentle highlights and subtle shadows, bright airy atmosphere. Magazine-editorial feel. Used for flat lays and recipe-adjacent shots.

Mixed warm indoor + daylight. Warm interior fixtures (recessed ceiling, lamp glow) blended with soft daylight from a nearby window. Cozy, lived-in, "smartphone-captured." Used for human social scenes.

Cinematic golden hour. Low warm sun, amber tones, soft bokeh, gentle cinematic contrast. Used sparingly — and only for Documentary Contrast (Mode 6), which carries usage limits.

4 · Composition principles

Asymmetry over centering. Subjects sit off-center; negative space carries the eye. Hero shots place the product on the right at three-quarter angle with copy space on the left. Flat lays push the subject up and out to one side with copy space at the bottom or opposite corner.

Generous negative space. Every brand image should leave room for type. Even if no copy will be placed, the negative space itself reads as confidence. Crowded compositions read as cheap.

One idea per moment. A single subject, a single claim. Bold is not the same as busy.

Aspect ratios

When prompting, state the aspect explicitly. Tools that ignore aspect ratio in the prompt body still accept an --ar flag (Midjourney) or an aspect parameter (most others).

5 · Typography in imagery

No text or logos baked into AI-generated images or video. Type is always composited in post. AI models render type unreliably (broken letterforms, garbled words) and any logo "rendered" by a model is unauthorized. Brand fonts (Gotham, Helvetica Neue) are applied in the layout layer, not the image layer.

6 · The six modes

The visual system is a 2×2 grid plus one storytelling mode:

Plus Mode 6 · Documentary Contrast — a storytelling mode used only in editorial contexts, with explicit usage limits. Each mode is fully specified below. Every prompt should end with the universal negatives in §8.

copy + fill variablesPremium commercial hero image for a metabolic-health brand. A large [PRODUCT CONTAINER] floats on the right side of the frame, angled three-quarters toward the camera. Around it, swirling translucent [BRAND COLOR NAME] energy ribbons, glowing particle streams, abstract molecular structures, and bright geometric flourishes suspended in midair. Smooth [BRAND COLOR NAME] gradient background (centered around hex [HEX]) with a soft radial center glow. Generous clean negative space on the left for marketing copy. Photoreal 3D rendering, ultra-detailed packaging, premium studio lighting, sharp focus, realistic reflections, soft shadow beneath the product, dynamic motion effects, modern wellness aesthetic, cinematic depth, 16:9 aspect ratio.

copy + fill variablesPremium commercial hero image for a wellness food brand. A [PRODUCT CONTAINER] positioned on the right side of the frame at a three-quarter angle. Surrounded by floating [INGREDIENT ELEMENTS] suspended in midair — sharp detail, realistic gloss, gentle motion. Smooth [BRAND COLOR NAME] gradient background (centered around hex [HEX]) with soft radial center glow. Large clean negative space on the left for marketing copy. Ultra-realistic 3D rendering, premium CPG advertising, dramatic studio lighting, realistic reflections and shadows, photoreal ingredients, sharp focus, cinematic depth, e-commerce hero banner, 16:9 aspect ratio.

copy + fill variablesUltra-realistic lifestyle product photography, vertical close-up composition. A [PRODUCT IN USE] in [VESSEL/CONTEXT], [BRAND COLOR NAME] in lead. A manicured hand with glossy neutral-toned nails [INTERACTION VERB] naturally with the product. Bright direct natural sunlight from camera left creates strong directional shadows and glowing highlights, warm summer-afternoon feel. Scattered [COMPLEMENTARY PROPS] on a clean [PASTEL SURFACE COLOR] tabletop. Shallow depth of field, 85mm lens, f/2.0, ultra-sharp focus on the product, softly blurred background. Crisp textures, realistic [TEXTURE DETAILS — condensation / carbonation / glossy surface / fresh garnish]. Premium commercial food-and-drink photography, vivid colors, fresh and energetic mood, photoreal, cinematic natural lighting. [ASPECT RATIO].

copy + fill variablesCandid, vertical social-media-style lifestyle photo. [NUMBER + DESCRIPTION OF PEOPLE — e.g., "Two young adults in their late 20s" or "A single woman in her late 20s"] in a modern apartment [SETTING]. The scene feels spontaneous and authentic rather than posed. Warm indoor lighting mixed with soft natural daylight, cozy atmosphere. [ACTION DESCRIPTION — e.g., "She laughs while tearing fresh basil over a wooden cutting board" / "He pours a [PRODUCT] into a glass at the counter"]. A [BSFN PRODUCT] is in [WHERE — hand / on the counter / on the table] integrated naturally into the scene. Casual contemporary fashion, no formal or chef attire. Shot from a slightly low perspective with smartphone camera aesthetic. Natural expressions, shallow depth of field, warm skin tones, realistic textures, documentary-style lifestyle photography, candid moment, vibrant yet natural color grading, youthful and fun, 9:16 vertical.

copy + fill variablesTop-down flat lay luxury food photography on a bright [SURFACE]. Abundant clean negative space. A [BSFN PRODUCT] positioned diagonally on the [UPPER-LEFT / UPPER-RIGHT] of the frame, paired with [COMPLEMENTARY MEAL OR SCENE] on the opposite upper corner. Soft natural daylight from a large window creates gentle highlights, subtle shadows, and a bright airy atmosphere. Minimal props, uncluttered, sophisticated and aspirational health-conscious lifestyle feel. Color palette of [PRODUCT COLOR NAME] (centered around hex [HEX]) leading, with warm golden tones, soft creams, and subtle natural greens supporting. Large open negative space in the lower portion of the image reserved for marketing copy and headlines. Editorial layout, magazine-quality, photoreal, ultra-realistic, sharp focus, premium wellness food brand campaign. [ASPECT RATIO].

copy + fill variablesCinematic golden-hour kitchen scene, documentary-style. A [YOUNG ADULT DESCRIPTION — late 20s to mid-30s, casual] sits at a kitchen table, focused on a large glass bowl overflowing with ultra-processed salty snack foods — potato chips, pretzels, crackers. Hands hover near the bowl. Scattered chips, open snack bags, and soda cans across the foreground, creating a sense of overabundance. Shot with shallow depth of field, 85mm lens, snacks in sharp focus while the face and background remain softly blurred. Warm natural sunlight streams through a nearby window, casting soft highlights and gentle shadows. Warm amber and golden color palette, subtle cinematic contrast. Mood of contemplation and the pull of the modern food environment. Photoreal, ultra-detailed, documentary-style commercial photography, natural skin textures, realistic generic packaging without branded text, soft bokeh, cinematic lighting, HDR, intimate composition, 16:9.

7 · Video direction

All six modes can be produced as video. Video uses the same composition, lighting, and color rules — plus the following.

Motion principles

Kinetic but not frantic. Movement is purposeful — a slow tumble of soft chews, a hand-free pour, a macro glide across a product, a candid laugh that turns into a sip. Never zoom-in/zoom-out for its own sake; never frantic cuts within a 10-second loop.

Camera moves favored. Slow push-in (subtle dolly in), gentle rotation around a product, slight handheld in lifestyle scenes, locked-off for flat lays. Avoid: aggressive whip pans, fake parallax, AI-rendered fake DSLR rack focus that wobbles.

Loopable by default. Background video on the site (e.g., the Creatine Reimagined™ featured-section video) must loop seamlessly. Plan the first and last frame to match.

Length and pacing

Audio

Most site video runs muted or with subtle ambient. Social/paid video should be designed mute-first (visuals must communicate without sound) and add music/SFX in post. Voiceover, if used, follows the brand-voice rules from Brand Guide v1.8 §5 and 7 (structure/function language only).

Per-mode video notes

Modes 1 and 2 (Studio Hero). The product floats and rotates slowly, surrounded by particles or ingredients drifting in 3D space. Background gradient pulses gently. 16:9. 10–15 second seamless loop.

Mode 3 (Lifestyle Macro). A single sustained moment — pour, sip, garnish placement, scoop. Slow motion (120fps source, half-speed playback) for water/carbonation/falling food. 9:16 vertical or 1:1.

Mode 4 (Lifestyle Human Social). Multiple short shots — a laugh, a sip, a hand placing the product, a glance at the camera. Cuts are quick but unhurried. Mute-first; music in post. 9:16.

Mode 5 (Editorial Flat Lay). Locked-off camera overhead. The scene comes to life through small hand-only interactions — a hand placing a brownie, pouring coffee, sliding a plate in. Soft, slow. 1:1 or 9:16.

Mode 6 (Documentary Contrast). Locked-off or slight handheld. Long held shots, minimal cuts, ambient sound (a wrapper crinkle, a clock). Same usage guardrails as the still version (§6, Mode 6 guardrails).

8 · Universal rules — applies to every asset

Append the following negative-prompt block to every BSFN image and video prompt. These are the brand's non-negotiables, derived from Brand Guide v1.8 §6–7 and the BSFN Design Plan.

Universal negative prompt — paste into every prompt

paste at end of every promptNegative: text overlays, baked-in text, rendered words, watermarks, logos, brand wordmarks, real-product packaging mimicry, before-and-after weight imagery, weight-loss imagery, body comparison, white lab coats, doctors in clinical attire, hospital settings, microscopes, lab glassware, test tubes, syringes, prescription pads, gauges, meters, dials, speedometer graphics, glucose-curve charts, schematic medical graphics, invented seals or stamps, fake awards, fake certifications, plastic skin, over-retouched skin, uncanny faces, distorted hands, extra fingers, awkward anatomy, posed studio family portraits, stock-photo expressions, dramatic moody color grading, dark depressive tones (except Mode 6), cluttered backgrounds, heavy Instagram filters, vintage film grain (unless explicitly called for), low resolution, blurry main subject.

Brand-language to avoid in prompts

Even in the prompt (not just the visible image), avoid loaded medical terms — generative models bias toward visual stereotypes when these words appear.

9 · People & casting

Age. Late 20s to mid-30s is the lead range. Vibrant, energetic, aspirational — the life the viewer aspires to or recently lived. Brand Guide v1.8 §6 currently lists 30–65; that section is being updated to match this direction.

Look. Naturally fit, healthy, real. Not "fitness model" body composition, not "influencer" plastic. Real skin texture is encouraged in the prompt — pores, light freckles, natural texture. Avoid: plastic skin, over-retouched, runway-model body, gym-influencer look.

Diversity. Cast across ethnicities, body types, gender presentations. The brand serves a wide audience and the imagery should look like it. Diversity is not a separate "diverse photo" — it's a default across the whole library.

Wardrobe. Casual contemporary — tanks, tees, simple knits, denim, athleisure that feels lived-in. Lead color in wardrobe can echo the product line. Never: chef whites or aprons, white lab coats, scrubs, formal business attire, branded athletic-wear with visible logos.

Expression. Candid is the default — mid-laugh, mid-sip, mid-moment. Not posed-and-smiling, not "looking-at-camera-with-thumbs-up." When a subject does look at camera, the gaze is relaxed and unposed.

Hands. AI tools still struggle with hands. Always prompt for "natural hand positions, accurate anatomy, five fingers, realistic nails." Plan to regenerate or composite any image where the hands fail.

10 · Series consistency — campaign locks

When generating a campaign or product family (e.g., all nine product hero shots), the goal is for every image to look like it came from the same shoot. The reliable way to do this is to lock everything except the variables.

The campaign lock instruction

Append this to every prompt in a series, after the mode-specific prompt and before the universal negative:

append to every series promptMaintain identical camera angle, lighting direction, surface type, gradient direction, negative-space ratio, typography-safe area, and overall composition across every image in this series. Replace only the product and the [variable elements: ingredients / color / etc.] while preserving the visual identity exactly.

Series checklist

Before generating a series, lock these:

1. Aspect ratio — same across the set
2. Composition skeleton — product position, copy-space side, asymmetry direction
3. Lighting language — same of the five from §3
4. Surface — same marble, same gradient style, same tabletop
5. Lens — same focal length, same DOF
6. Time of day — golden hour or noon or window light, same across set
7. People — same casting age, same wardrobe style, same expression register

Run the first image. When that one is right, copy its prompt and swap only the product and color variables for the next eight.

11 · Quick-reference cheat sheet

The short version on a single screen — the six modes, default aspect ratios per use, and the small set of rules that have no exceptions.

Default aspect ratios

The non-negotiables

• Always end the prompt with the universal negative block (§8)
• Always name the product color explicitly + pin with hex
• Always leave generous negative space
• Never generate text, logos, or wordmarks inside the image
• Never use Mode 6 outside editorial contexts
• Never use loaded medical terms in prompts (§8)