Keeps — Ad Rulebook REV. 3

Never promise “full hair regrowth guaranteed.” Do not promise full regrowth or overnight results.

No “overnight or rapid-results promises.”

Never claim it “works for everyone.”

Do not state “specific efficacy stats not backed by clinical or brand survey data.”

Note: the winning DHT-villain ad's “worked for 90% vs 40% going single” is fake data and must not be reused.

No “visual before/after comparisons using non-customer fake results.”

Cartoon / drawn before-after in statics is a specific allowed exception — see VIS-10.

No beard-growth angle — “Keeps doesn't do that.”

Never claim the whole product / all ingredients are FDA-approved — “that is not the case.” Only specific ingredients may be described as FDA-approved, correctly and by name.

Do not represent the product as a beard-growth solution — “No. Keeps doesn't do that.”

Also stated as CLM-08 (claim layer).

Do not use general “FDA-approved” product positioning. “We'd advise against these general FDA-approved claims.”

Also under 2.5.

Never “hide or dismiss side effects (especially ED).” Be honest, not dismissive.

Never deny that “early shedding is normal.”

WHEN early shedding is relevant: “acknowledge it, explain why it happens (the cycle resetting), and frame it as a signal the treatment is working.”

WHEN the angle requires it: cite “the actual clinical rate (2–5%),” acknowledge the fear is legitimate, and note “if you do [experience it], you stop and the side effect resolves.”

IF backed by clinical study data or brand customer-survey data, a claim “can be stated confidently — no hedging required.”

Dutasteride numbers (e.g. “blocks 90% of DHT”) only with on-screen attribution — “flash a study on screen and show that that fact is actually real.” Note “blocks 90% of DHT” and “90% effective” are “two very different claims.”

Never say “formulated by doctors / health professionals / clinicians” — “this is also not quite accurate.” Say “clinically proven formula” (“matched to one that actual doctors use — not made by them”) or “clinically proven ingredients.”

Keep the SKUs distinct: Chew+ contains dutasteride — “there is NO Finasteride in Chew+” — while Keeps Chew contains finasteride (no dutasteride). Never attribute finasteride to the Chew+.

Represent the Chew+ as the “5-in-1” daily oral chewable: Dutasteride 0.2mg · Minoxidil 2.5mg · Biotin 10mg · Vitamin C 120mg · Zinc 10mg.

Represent the Drop+ as the “11-in-1” topical solution: Minoxidil, Dutasteride, Tretinoin, Melatonin, Caffeine, Cetirizine HCL, Hydrocortisone, Latanoprost, Vitamin D3, Biotin, Rosemary Oil.

Be realistic: 12 months on Keeps means “thicker and denser where it's already thinning, a crown filling in, a part closing up.” “Not a new hairline and not a bald scalp growing back.”

Personal testimonial-style results allowed only with the disclaimer — “add ‘Actor portrayal’ if not a real customer.”

“Results typically require 3–6 months minimum.” Use real numbers — 86% combination vs 69% single — or “be honest and say this is ok at 69% but we improved it further to 86%.”

State the guarantee accurately: “the guarantee that Keeps is running is a 180-day money-back guarantee.” Never 60-day.

Prefer specific, data-backed framing (“clinically shown to slow hair loss in up to 80% of men”) over vague absolutes (“this will stop your hair loss”).

No “‘thicker, fuller, healthier hair’ filler” — “it says nothing.”

No “hype-driven miracle-cure language.”

No “generic copy that doesn't show understanding of the product, the science, or the customer.”

No “low-effort ads with no research behind the idea or messaging.”

No copy “that could've been written for a shampoo.”

Add “Actor portrayal” in small font when the person isn't a verified Keeps customer.

Conflict: calibration example says an ad without it “still passes” — see CF-01. Cross-listed under 2.7 and 4.1.

Beep out all “swear words and dirty words” (porn, dick, penis, erection, etc.) with a beep sound effect — “otherwise the ad will get rejected.”

Copy must never “hide or dismiss side effects (especially ED)” or deny that “early shedding is normal.”

Qualify side-effect and shedding statements — name “the actual clinical rate (2–5%)” and the 3–6 month expectation.

Offers are flexible but must be wrapped with “start at,” “around,” or “as low as.” Recommended: “$1/Day.”

Avoid “specific timing callouts on shipping.” Lean on “Free discreet shipping, free shipping.”

Voice: “Honest. Credible. Clinical. Relatable. Masculine.”

“Confident but not arrogant. Science-backed but not sterile. Anti-hype but not boring.”

“Direct, masculine, plainspoken — talks to him, not at him.”

Be anti-hype and “admit limitations openly” — “There's no magic cure for baldness — but you can prevent hair loss.”

Never associate the brand with “skeevy before/afters,” “miracle-cure copy,” or “‘thicker fuller’ filler.”

Position Keeps as “honest in a category that lies.”

Admit limitations openly — “no magic cure” honesty is the wedge.

“The real competitor isn't Hims or Roman — it's inaction.” Fight the paralysis to do nothing first.

Lean on the core edges: clinically proven formula · 86% combination efficacy · ~$1/day · 50% off first order · no pharmacy visit · all-in-one chewable · no-BS positioning. (No general “FDA-approved actives.”)

Frame hair loss as a long game: “crown thinning responds better than hairline recession,” “the earlier a guy starts, the more hair he keeps,” “multi-year users report the strongest outcomes.”

“Steal the structure, not the line.” Validated hook patterns: personified hair as speaker · concrete time anchor · third-party observer proof · naming the social cost · money-can't-fix-it framing.

Six brand-blessed angles: DHT-as-villain · trigger-moment storytelling · transplant comparison · anti-hype counter-positioning · honest side-effect talk · “earlier you start” urgency. “Pick one, commit to it, and don't water it down.”

Do not fabricate testimonials, personal results, or customer experiences.

Before/after results in testimonials may only come from “verified Keeps customer results — the only B/A you can use.”

Add “Actor portrayal” when the person isn't a verified Keeps customer.

Personal testimonial-style results are permitted when the disclaimer applies.

TikTok / large-account clips must not be used for transformations — “definitely don't use clips from large accounts.”

Prefer “UGC clips with AI voiceover” — the brand's high-priority format.

Prefer third-party / external observers as proof — e.g. “Friends asked if I was wearing a wig.”

A UGC ad without the disclaimer “still passes” — it's a “soft reminder to add the disclaimer next time.”

You can reference “real good reviews on trustpilot and google reviews.”

“Month-1 ad volume goes to the Chew+.”

Use the Drop+ only when the angle “specifically calls for a heavier topical/scalp-application play.”

Do not use AI to fabricate before/after visuals, results, or customer proof — “fabricated before/afters are a hard fail.”

Do not generate depictions of women or minors anywhere near the creative.

No “obvious AI slop scripts.”

Top-priority format: “AI character animation (mechanism storytelling).”

High-priority format: “UGC clips with AI voiceover.” “AI UGC is allowed.”

“Native-feeling AI execution makes it feel earned, not gimmicky.”

Use the provided AI content — “use as inspo, remix into new concepts, or pull components directly.”

Other formats — “live-action UGC, founder-style, etc.” — are “open if research-backed.”

“AI UGC is allowed.”

Redundant with AI-05; kept for traceability.

Do not “show women or minors using the product (hard block — finasteride is contraindicated for women).”

No “celebrities, highly popular influencers and copyrighted characters.” You “can take content from very small influencers and regular people.”

Include “Actor portrayal” in small font when the person isn't a verified Keeps customer.

“Before-After photos and videos on Keeps website are allowed to be used in ads.”

Visual approach is wide open — “no mandatory product shots, color rules, or templates” — but the creative must be “high-intent and research-backed.”

“All footage in folders delivered by Keeps is allowed to use as is without adjusting.” “Actor portrayal” is still required where the person isn't a verified customer.

Treat the Chew+ as the hero — the “strongest single product to angle around.”

Treat the Drop+ as secondary — “lower priority for Month 1 — focus the bulk of your creative on the Chew+.”

No “fake before/after visuals — only verified Keeps customer results.” Cartoon/drawn B/A is a separate allowed exception (VIS-10).

No “skeevy before/after shots with fake results.”

No “visual before/after comparisons using non-customer fake results.”

Also under 1.1.

Photographic B/A only from “verified Keeps customer results — the only B/A you can use” (delivered folders or the Keeps website).

“Before-After drawn or cartoon animation are allowed in static ads but should have ‘actor portrayal’ at the bottom of the ads.”

Exception to VIS-03 / VIS-09; must still obey CLM-10 realism.

Depict transformations realistically — “thicker and denser where it's already thinning, a crown filling in, a part closing up”; “not a new hairline and not a bald scalp growing back.”

No private part nudity in any creative — “automatic fail,” the brand's “single highest-priority safety rule.”

“All important visuals in ads must be within safe zone.”

“Ad format allowed: native ad.”

TikTok / social clips: “stay away from it for the most part if we're talking about transformations”; bald-guy clips are “fine”; “definitely don't use clips from large accounts”; “you can re-make it with AI just so it's not the same person.” Social b-roll is fine — “don't use content of super popular creators and content that shows transformation that is not by Keeps.”

Memes featuring copyrighted characters allowed only if popular — “but not recommended.”

Show “problem demonstrations — drain hair, mirror checks, wind exposure, harsh lighting.”

“Go deep on emotional pain — shame, rejection, mockery are all fair game.”

Lean on the brand's preferred formats: AI character animation and UGC clips with AI voiceover.

“Emotional severity is open” — shame, rejection, mockery, being unmatched, being mocked by friends are “all fully permitted.”

You may “name competitors directly” — Hims, Roman, Rogaine, Nutrafol.

“Direct competitor callouts are fully permitted. No restrictions on naming names or aggressiveness of comparisons.”

A line like “Hims is overpriced and less effective” passes even without data cited.

For the GoodRx undercut, compete on the “all-in-one Chew+ format, not on raw molecule pricing.” “The math is total convenience + total efficacy, not lowest line item.”

GoodRx gets you finasteride; Keeps gets you “finasteride + minoxidil + biotin + vitamin C + zinc in one daily chew” plus the consult, shipping, and routine consolidated.

Lead with the category critique — “99% of hair loss products don't work. Keeps is the 1%” — then explain why the actives change the math.

None — Keeps does not disallow any ad format.

Reference — formats confirmed permitted: AI character animation · AI UGC · UGC clips with AI voiceover · native ad · live-action UGC · founder-style · static. (Format-specific constraints that do exist are under Visual and AI rules, not format bans.)

No “women in the product-using role.”

No “minors anywhere near the creative.”

“Adult men only. The product depicted in your ad must only be shown being used by adult men.”

Target “adult men only.” “Hard block, no exceptions.”

“Lock in on this persona before you write a single line. If your ad doesn't speak to him specifically, it'll speak to nobody.”

Fit Mike's awareness stage — “mostly Problem Aware → Solution Aware.” Pull him from doing-nothing into action, or convince him Keeps is the credible option.

Speak to Mike: male, “mid-20s to early 30s,” image-conscious, skeptical of category, active dater, takes care of himself, tried & failed before, terrified of side effects, a “2am Googler.”

Targeting people with ADHD only “if it has some science backing” — otherwise avoid; it's “very risky.”