diff --git a/app/(app)/projects/[id]/autoblog/setup/form.tsx b/app/(app)/projects/[id]/autoblog/setup/form.tsx
index 031c531a..a1af9572 100644
--- a/app/(app)/projects/[id]/autoblog/setup/form.tsx
+++ b/app/(app)/projects/[id]/autoblog/setup/form.tsx
@@ -38,9 +38,18 @@ type Existing = {
   internal_links_per_article: number;
   backlinks_enabled: boolean;
   external_links_per_article: number;
+  banner_style: string | null;
   status: string;
 };
 
+const BANNER_STYLE_OPTIONS: Array<{ value: string; label: string; hint: string }> = [
+  { value: "editorial", label: "Editorial photo", hint: "Cinematic photojournalistic cover" },
+  { value: "hype", label: "Marketing hype", hint: "Bold, energetic launch-poster look" },
+  { value: "concept", label: "Concept illustration", hint: "Clean illustrated metaphor of the idea" },
+  { value: "tech", label: "3D / isometric", hint: "Sleek 3D render of the topic" },
+  { value: "bold_type", label: "Bold minimal", hint: "Striking minimal composition" },
+];
+
 const DAY_LABELS: Array<{ n: number; label: string }> = [
   { n: 1, label: "Mon" },
   { n: 2, label: "Tue" },
@@ -115,6 +124,7 @@ export function SetupForm({
   const [seoTitle, setSeoTitle] = useState(initial?.seo_title ?? "");
   const [seoDescription, setSeoDescription] = useState(initial?.seo_description ?? "");
   const [tone, setTone] = useState(initial?.tone ?? "");
+  const [bannerStyle, setBannerStyle] = useState(initial?.banner_style ?? "editorial");
   const [competitors, setCompetitors] = useState(
     (initial?.competitors ?? []).join(", "),
   );
@@ -566,6 +576,7 @@ export function SetupForm({
         seoTitle,
         seoDescription,
         tone,
+        bannerStyle,
         competitors,
         webhookUrl,
         webhookSecret,
@@ -933,6 +944,26 @@ export function SetupForm({
             onChange={(e) => setTone(e.target.value)}
           />
         </div>
+        <div>
+          <label className="text-xs uppercase tracking-wider text-[var(--color-muted)]">
+            Banner image style
+          </label>
+          <select
+            className="input mt-1"
+            value={bannerStyle}
+            onChange={(e) => setBannerStyle(e.target.value)}
+          >
+            {BANNER_STYLE_OPTIONS.map((o) => (
+              <option key={o.value} value={o.value}>
+                {o.label}
+              </option>
+            ))}
+          </select>
+          <p className="mt-1 text-xs text-[var(--color-muted)]">
+            {BANNER_STYLE_OPTIONS.find((o) => o.value === bannerStyle)?.hint}
+            {" "}— every banner depicts the post's actual topic in this style.
+          </p>
+        </div>
         <div>
           <label className="text-xs uppercase tracking-wider text-[var(--color-muted)]">
             SEO title (50–60 chars)
diff --git a/app/(app)/projects/[id]/autoblog/setup/page.tsx b/app/(app)/projects/[id]/autoblog/setup/page.tsx
index f875fa89..627d5d57 100644
--- a/app/(app)/projects/[id]/autoblog/setup/page.tsx
+++ b/app/(app)/projects/[id]/autoblog/setup/page.tsx
@@ -7,7 +7,7 @@ import { SetupForm } from "./form";
 export const metadata = { title: "Autoblog · Setup" };
 
 const SITE_COLUMNS =
-  "id, domain, blog_root_url, sitemap_url, niche, target_audiences, description, seed_keywords, modifiers, preserve_keywords, keywords, seo_title, seo_description, tone, competitors, webhook_url, webhook_secret, daily_article_count, publish_days, publish_hour, internal_links_per_article, backlinks_enabled, external_links_per_article, status";
+  "id, domain, blog_root_url, sitemap_url, niche, target_audiences, description, seed_keywords, modifiers, preserve_keywords, keywords, seo_title, seo_description, tone, competitors, webhook_url, webhook_secret, daily_article_count, publish_days, publish_hour, internal_links_per_article, backlinks_enabled, external_links_per_article, banner_style, status";
 
 export default async function AutoblogSetupPage({
   params,
diff --git a/app/actions/linkExchange.ts b/app/actions/linkExchange.ts
index 6c85113a..8ca7950c 100644
--- a/app/actions/linkExchange.ts
+++ b/app/actions/linkExchange.ts
@@ -314,6 +314,9 @@ export type SiteInput = {
   // (Link Exchange phase) ships separately.
   backlinksEnabled?: boolean;
   externalLinksPerArticle?: number;
+  // Autoblog hero/banner image style. See BANNER_STYLES in
+  // lib/lx/articleGen.ts. Defaults to 'editorial'.
+  bannerStyle?: string;
 };
 
 export async function createOrUpdateSite(
@@ -370,6 +373,10 @@ export async function createOrUpdateSite(
   const internalLinks = Math.max(0, Math.min(8, Math.floor(input.internalLinksPerArticle ?? 3)));
   const backlinksEnabled = !!input.backlinksEnabled;
   const externalLinks = Math.max(0, Math.min(5, Math.floor(input.externalLinksPerArticle ?? 3)));
+  const BANNER_STYLE_IDS = ["editorial", "hype", "concept", "tech", "bold_type"];
+  const bannerStyle = BANNER_STYLE_IDS.includes(input.bannerStyle ?? "")
+    ? (input.bannerStyle as string)
+    : "editorial";
   const publishDays = Array.from(
     new Set(
       (input.publishDays ?? [1, 2, 3, 4, 5])
@@ -442,6 +449,7 @@ export async function createOrUpdateSite(
         internal_links_per_article: internalLinks,
         backlinks_enabled: backlinksEnabled,
         external_links_per_article: externalLinks,
+        banner_style: bannerStyle,
         next_publish_at: nextAt?.toISOString() ?? null,
       })
       .eq("id", existingByProject.id);
@@ -480,6 +488,7 @@ export async function createOrUpdateSite(
       internal_links_per_article: internalLinks,
       backlinks_enabled: backlinksEnabled,
       external_links_per_article: externalLinks,
+      banner_style: bannerStyle,
       next_publish_at: nextAt?.toISOString() ?? null,
     })
     .select("id")
diff --git a/lib/lx/articleGen.ts b/lib/lx/articleGen.ts
index 76ce4a00..3fcbd18b 100644
--- a/lib/lx/articleGen.ts
+++ b/lib/lx/articleGen.ts
@@ -55,6 +55,7 @@ type SiteRow = {
   internal_links_per_article: number;
   backlinks_enabled: boolean;
   external_links_per_article: number;
+  banner_style: BannerStyle | null;
 };
 
 type KeywordRow = {
@@ -522,11 +523,16 @@ async function findPriorArticles(
 // at work, dramatic scenes, expressive moments) instead of abstract
 // metallic objects. Mix subjects across articles so the blog index
 // doesn't feel like one repeated style.
-const SHARED_ART_DIRECTION = [
-  // Reference: visual benchmarks people stop scrolling for.
+// Inline "concept" section images keep the photojournalistic tactile-metaphor
+// look. The hero no longer forces this — its subject comes from the post
+// content + the project's chosen banner style instead, so projects stop
+// looking identical.
+const INLINE_CONCEPT_DIRECTION = [
   "Style benchmark: a Time Magazine / National Geographic / Bloomberg Businessweek / The Verge feature-cover photograph. Editorial photojournalism, not abstract digital art. Should feel like a published photograph, not a render.",
-  // Subject diversity — break the "geometric metal sculpture" default.
   "Subject: pick the most cinematic option that fits the topic — a person at work with the topic visible in their environment (engineer at a screen, operator in a control room, hands on a keyboard with code reflected in glasses, a researcher at a whiteboard); OR a dramatic scene that evokes the topic (a server room glowing in low light, a city at dusk seen through a window, a single object spotlit on a desk surrounded by cluttered notes); OR a close-up of a real-world workspace artifact (open laptop, well-worn notebook, coffee-ringed printout, glowing terminal). Vary across articles. Faces and hands are welcome — they drive engagement.",
+];
+
+const SHARED_ART_DIRECTION = [
   // Lighting: cinematic but believable.
   "Lighting: cinematic chiaroscuro — one strong directional light source (window, monitor glow, desk lamp) with deep falloff into shadow, plus a subtle warm or cool fill. Mood is contemplative-intense, not corporate-bright. Volumetric light particles welcome.",
   // Palette: richer and varied per piece.
@@ -707,6 +713,7 @@ function buildInlineImagePrompt(
         `Editorial section image for a long-form technical SEO article.`,
         `Concept to evoke (do NOT depict literally — find a tactile metaphor): ${spec.prompt}.`,
         niche,
+        ...INLINE_CONCEPT_DIRECTION,
         ...SHARED_ART_DIRECTION,
         "Slightly more subdued than a hero — a chapter divider, not the cover. 3:2 aspect.",
       ]
@@ -743,6 +750,46 @@ export async function generateInlineImage(
   return Buffer.from(b64, "base64");
 }
 
+export type BannerStyle = "editorial" | "hype" | "concept" | "tech" | "bold_type";
+
+export const BANNER_STYLES: ReadonlyArray<{
+  id: BannerStyle;
+  label: string;
+  description: string;
+}> = [
+  {
+    id: "editorial",
+    label: "Editorial photo",
+    description: "Cinematic photojournalistic cover — a real-feeling scene about the topic.",
+  },
+  {
+    id: "hype",
+    label: "Marketing hype",
+    description: "Bold, energetic launch-poster look. Punchy, high-contrast, scroll-stopping.",
+  },
+  {
+    id: "concept",
+    label: "Concept illustration",
+    description: "Clean illustrated metaphor of the post's core idea.",
+  },
+  {
+    id: "tech",
+    label: "3D / isometric",
+    description: "Sleek 3D or isometric render of the topic's objects and systems.",
+  },
+  {
+    id: "bold_type",
+    label: "Bold minimal",
+    description: "Striking minimal composition built around the topic's key motif.",
+  },
+];
+
+export function isBannerStyle(v: unknown): v is BannerStyle {
+  return (
+    typeof v === "string" && BANNER_STYLES.some((s) => s.id === v)
+  );
+}
+
 export type HeroImageMeta = {
   title: string;
   excerpt?: string | null;
@@ -751,6 +798,24 @@ export type HeroImageMeta = {
   niche?: string | null;
   audiences?: string[] | null;
   brand?: string | null;
+  style?: BannerStyle | null;
+};
+
+// Per-style art direction. Every style anchors on the SAME post content
+// (built below); this only changes the visual treatment so projects don't
+// all look identical. Shared rules: cinematic, text-free, single focal
+// subject, reads at thumbnail size.
+const STYLE_DIRECTION: Record<BannerStyle, string> = {
+  editorial:
+    "Treatment: cinematic editorial cover PHOTOGRAPH (Time / National Geographic / The Verge feature). A real-feeling moment that depicts the topic — a charged scene, a dramatic object lit in context, or a person genuinely doing the thing the article is about. Chiaroscuro lighting, one committed color palette, film-like microcontrast, real-world texture. Looks shot, not rendered.",
+  hype:
+    "Treatment: bold MARKETING / HYPE poster — energetic product-launch key art. High-contrast, saturated, dynamic angles and motion, dramatic rim light and glow, a confident hero subject that embodies the topic. Feels like the splash image for a hot launch. Premium and exciting, NOT cheesy stock or clip-art.",
+  concept:
+    "Treatment: clean CONCEPT ILLUSTRATION — a single clear visual metaphor for the article's core idea, rendered in a modern flat/vector editorial style with depth and a tight palette. The metaphor must come from the post's actual subject, not generic tech doodles.",
+  tech:
+    "Treatment: sleek 3D / ISOMETRIC render of the concrete objects, systems, or flow the article is about (devices, pipelines, networks, structures depicted literally as polished 3D forms). Studio lighting, soft shadows, glossy/matte material contrast, one accent color. Modern SaaS hero-render aesthetic.",
+  bold_type:
+    "Treatment: striking MINIMAL composition built around the single key motif of the topic — one bold symbolic object or shape, generous negative space, dramatic lighting, one strong accent color against a restrained background. Graphic and confident.",
 };
 
 export async function generateImage(
@@ -758,14 +823,13 @@ export async function generateImage(
   meta: HeroImageMeta,
 ): Promise<Buffer | null> {
   // Hero image. The thumbnail on /blog AND the OG card on every share —
-  // it has to stop a scroll on a phone. Aim for an editorial cover that
-  // a magazine art director would approve: a clear human or scene
-  // subject, dramatic light, one striking color combination.
+  // it has to stop a scroll on a phone AND actually depict THIS post.
   //
-  // We feed the model the actual article metadata (title, lede,
-  // tags, audience) so it has more to anchor on than the bare headline.
-  // Without the lede, gpt-image-1 collapses every abstract title into
-  // the same generic geometric render.
+  // We feed the model the real article metadata (title, lede, tags,
+  // niche) so the image is about the content, then apply the project's
+  // chosen visual treatment. Without the lede, gpt-image-1 collapses
+  // every abstract title into the same generic render.
+  const style: BannerStyle = meta.style ?? "editorial";
   const lede = (meta.excerpt || meta.metaDescription || "").trim();
   const tagList = (meta.tags ?? [])
     .map((t) => t.trim())
@@ -776,19 +840,22 @@ export async function generateImage(
     .filter(Boolean)
     .slice(0, 3);
   const prompt = [
-    `Hero cover photograph for a long-form technical feature titled: "${meta.title}".`,
-    lede ? `What the piece is actually about: ${lede}` : "",
-    tagList.length > 0 ? `Topic tags: ${tagList.join(", ")}.` : "",
+    // Content FIRST — the image must depict this specific post.
+    `Create a hero banner image that visually depicts the subject of this article. Title: "${meta.title}".`,
+    lede ? `What it's actually about: ${lede}` : "",
+    tagList.length > 0 ? `Key concepts to depict: ${tagList.join(", ")}.` : "",
     meta.niche ? `Subject area: ${meta.niche}.` : "",
+    "The image MUST be recognizably about this topic — a viewer should glance at it and understand what the article covers. Depict the actual subject, not a generic office or 'person at a laptop' scene.",
     audienceList.length > 0
-      ? `Audience the piece is for: ${audienceList.join("; ")}. If you place a person in the frame, they should plausibly belong to that audience (clothing, environment, tools).`
+      ? `Audience: ${audienceList.join("; ")}. Any people shown should plausibly belong to it.`
       : "",
     meta.brand
-      ? `Publication: ${meta.brand} — operator-focused technical journalism, not corporate marketing.`
+      ? `Publication: ${meta.brand}.`
       : "",
-    "Pick the single most cinematic, scroll-stopping visual that fits the topic — preferably a real-feeling moment (a person at work, a charged scene, a single dramatic object lit in context) rather than abstract geometric shapes. Make it look like a published feature-story photograph, NOT an AI-generated abstract pattern.",
+    // Visual treatment SECOND — varies per project, keeps the family look.
+    STYLE_DIRECTION[style],
     ...SHARED_ART_DIRECTION,
-    "Cinematic 3:2 magazine cover aspect. Single-image composition with a clear focal subject; never a collage. Must read well as a 320×213px social-card thumbnail.",
+    "Cinematic 3:2 aspect. Single-image composition with one clear focal subject; never a collage. Text-free (no words, labels, or logos). Must read well as a 320×213px social-card thumbnail.",
   ]
     .filter(Boolean)
     .join(" ");
@@ -856,7 +923,7 @@ export async function generateArticle(
   const { data: site } = await supabase
     .from("lx_site")
     .select(
-      "id, user_id, domain, blog_root_url, niche, target_audiences, description, internal_links_per_article, backlinks_enabled, external_links_per_article, status",
+      "id, user_id, domain, blog_root_url, niche, target_audiences, description, internal_links_per_article, backlinks_enabled, external_links_per_article, banner_style, status",
     )
     .eq("id", siteId)
     .maybeSingle();
@@ -1131,6 +1198,7 @@ export async function generateArticle(
           niche: typedSite.niche,
           audiences: typedSite.target_audiences,
           brand: typedSite.domain ?? null,
+          style: typedSite.banner_style ?? "editorial",
         });
         if (bytes)
           imageUrl = await uploadImage(supabase, typedSite.id, finalSlug, bytes);
diff --git a/supabase/migrations/20260530210000_lx_banner_style.sql b/supabase/migrations/20260530210000_lx_banner_style.sql
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..b1b3725f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/supabase/migrations/20260530210000_lx_banner_style.sql
@@ -0,0 +1,17 @@
+-- Autoblog hero/banner image style, per project (lx_site).
+--
+-- Until now every autoblog hero used one fixed art-direction block, so
+-- every post across every project looked the same ("person at a screen").
+-- This lets each project pick a banner style. All styles still anchor the
+-- image on the POST's actual content (title + lede + tags + niche); they
+-- only change the visual treatment.
+--
+--   editorial  — cinematic photojournalistic cover (the original look)
+--   hype       — bold marketing / hype poster, energetic launch vibe
+--   concept    — clean concept illustration of the post's core idea
+--   tech       — sleek 3D / isometric render of the topic's objects/systems
+--   bold_type  — striking minimal composition around the topic's key motif
+
+alter table public.lx_site
+  add column if not exists banner_style text not null default 'editorial'
+    check (banner_style in ('editorial','hype','concept','tech','bold_type'));