ROI Case File No.061: The Captivating World AI Weaves
📅 2025-06-27
🕒 Reading time: 4 min
🏷️ Generative AI 🏷️ Brand Strategy 🏷️ New Product Development 🏷️ Creative
Chapter I: The Mysterious Call
"We want to create 'viral' lingerie using generative AI."
That afternoon, a woman with sharp eyes and a gentle voice visited 221B Baker Street—the Brand Strategy Director of Espol Inc. Her bag was packed with visual catalogs of past products and screenshots of trending social media posts.
"We've been creating lingerie that 'brings out the inner beauty of the wearer.' But in the SNS era, it's all about how you present it," she said.
Her gaze seemed to peer into a distant future. However, a fleeting anxiety in her eyes—it was a harbinger of a deeper mystery lurking behind this case.
Chapter II: AI as a Partner
"Fascinating," Holmes murmured quietly by the fireplace.
"So you're an 'inner' brand troubled by the outer—that is, visual expression."
Espol's materials included emotional analysis of target demographics, characteristics of past bestsellers, and even TikTok view count graphs. Yet none served as a springboard for "creation" rather than mere "reproduction."
"Generative AI excels at imitation. But to convey what you do—emotions between aesthetics and physicality—requires another element."
I discovered an intriguing note in the corner of the materials: 'Brand direction adrift since predecessor's departure'—was someone intentionally obscuring the direction?
Chapter III: Structuring the Brand Universe
Holmes pointed to the brand map on the wall.
"Brands have a structure called 'essence.' Dissect it, and it becomes a grammar that AI can reproduce."
What he organized were Espol's creative elements:
- Color composition (pastels × accent colors)
- Photo composition (eye guidance, white space)
- Appeal vocabulary (liberation, tranquility, warmth)
- Model composition (age, body type, movement)
"Teach AI this aesthetic structure. Then, without breaking your 'essence,' it generates 'an image no one has ever seen.'"
But then I noticed—the competitive analysis materials she brought contained information that seemed clearly confidential. Was this mere coincidence?
Chapter IV: KPT Framework (Redesigning Creation)
| Item | Current State | Direction for Improvement | Future Creation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Keep | • Brand aesthetic sense • Emotional connection with users • Intuitive world-building design |
• Strong awareness of maintaining tone and manner • Fearless attitude toward trial and error |
• Verbalization and reproducibility of expression • Role division between AI and humans |
| Problem | • Risk of losing axis when chasing virality • "Soullessness" of generated content • AI literacy gap within company |
• Unorganized brand "grammar" • Quality differences between AI tools |
• How to incorporate human aesthetic judgment |
| Try | • Structural breakdown of tone and manner • A/B testing of generative AI • Measuring SNS reactions |
• Synchronization of brand dictionary and AI prompts • World-building-based campaign construction |
• Developing systems to quantitatively evaluate "essence" |
Chapter V: The Detective's Generative Aesthetics
"AI doesn't house a 'soul.' But through 'structure,' 'essence' can dwell."
Holmes narrowed his eyes at the AI-generated images.
"This one—the way negative space is handled in the background, the boundary processing between skin and lace, the ambiguous gaze. This is closest to your world-building."
"So," I said, "you've taught AI the 'form of expression' through structure."
"Exactly. And within that 'form,' humans make the final judgment. This is co-creation, Watson."
But at that moment, a black shadow flitted past the window. Was someone listening to our discussion? And why did Espol's strategy director possess such detailed competitive information?
Chapter VI: Co-Creative Era Creativity
After Espol's representative left, I pondered her final words.
"What we aim for isn't 'sellable products.' It's 'experiences worth talking about.'"
—Behind those words lay the intention not to "use technology" but to "deliver emotions."
Generative AI is merely a tool to amplify world-building, not the answer itself.
"Essence" is a reproducible collection of emotions.
Espol's challenge is a journey to find "an image worth talking about." On that journey, there's room for both AI and humans to walk together.
But I was certain—behind this case lurked someone's intention to exploit irresponsible corporate decisions. The confusion in brand strategy, the leak of competitive information, the predecessor's sudden departure—these were too convenient to be mere coincidence.
Chapter VII: The Shadow Strategist
That night, Holmes's words by the fireplace weighed heavily on my chest.
"Did you notice, Watson? There was a most interesting contradiction in the materials she brought."
"What kind?"
"Competitive companies' internal information was organized as if it were internal documentation. This suggests information is being intentionally leaked."
Holmes continued, pipe in mouth.
"Someone is creating confusion in corporate decision-making, inducing irresponsible judgments. And there's someone profiting from that confusion—"
We hadn't yet realized that this case was merely the prologue to a much larger "Conspiracy of Irresponsibility."
"What's generated isn't images. It's the memory of emotions. But memories, too, can be manipulated."—From the Detective's Notes
Next Preview: ROI Case File No.062 delves into the truth behind mysterious customer departures plaguing regional chains. Is this also part of the chain of irresponsible decisions?
