Episode 21: Every telenovela needs a model

Not for the ratings. For the plot.

I didn’t say the word celebrity. I’m talking about a model without an Instagram account or a blue tick. Not attractive to paparazzi but needed: The Business Model Canvas.

That’s right. Stop thinking about showbiz gossip and let’s focus on the business plan.

If you remember… this AI Telenovela was born while I was doing my AI course with Mastered. And despite the fact I’m having a great time writing, exploring AI, telling it off and making these episodes, I need to go back -step out onto the balcony, stare at the Atlantic Ocean on the horizon- and revisit the worksheet called Business Model Canvas.

So before I complete 52 weeks of AI tools experiments, let’s do a moonwalk -Michael is all over the screens at the moment, so let’s keep the trend going- and dust off the original plan.

From the Atlantic to Oxford University

We leave the ocean view behind and teleport straight into an Oxford classroom. Amazing what imagination and video editing can do these days.

On the chalkboard -the old-school kind- you’ll find the title: The Business Model Canvas.

And on your desk -yes, you made it to Oxford!!- You’ll find an A4 sheet divided into nine sections, covering key elements such as value proposition, target audience, channels and revenue streams.

This document was created by Alexander Osterwalder and Yves Pigneur in 2010. [A bit of history for the record.]

Try filling it in with your own business information. It’s a good exercise to get everything out of your head and onto paper.

My Revenue Streams box (number 8) contained a few ideas for making money beyond copywriting:

✅ Create a Substack and write about my experience of the AI shift.

✅ Take on at least one personal project a month.

✅ Write across different media and formats.

✅ Start selling online (but not tamales, they take far too long to make).

Plus other things to tick off… but anyway, while revisiting the document, I noticed something was missing.

☐ Step into fashion.

Where was it? Where is… the fashion part? I searched the entire doc for fashion apparel and nothing. Because it wasn’t part of the plan.

But it made it when my friend Leslie commented on AIAIay’s Instagram:

“AIAIay accessories and swimwear.”

My immediate reaction was: “What?! What is she drinking this early?”

But hey….What would happen if I crossed categories? AIAIay + fashion apparel. Not because it makes sense. Because that’s exactly the sort of thing that ends up becoming an AI experiment. So that’s today’s episode.

AI tools: Ideogram, Canva, Kive…

Goal: Visualise the AIAIay brand on fashion apparel.

Have you noticed how brands outside fashion are moving into it? Remember Nike and Ben&Jerry’s Chunky Dunky? They’re still selling and people are paying a looooot of money for a pair. Take Lidl and the now-famous croissant bag. Or Kate Spade and Heinz. I mean, how cute is that ketchup crossbody bag?

I wanted to see the AIAIay brand on simple items: T-shirts, tote bags, caps, maybe even swimwear for Leslie.

Since I’m not a designer, I had to rely on AI to help me visualise it. I started with Ideogram, I tried prompt after prompt: Minimalist. Premium. Streetwear. Editorial. Latin-inspired… and got plenty of bad results. Sorry Ideogram but some of these designs look like knock-off versions of AIAIay -and my brand doesn't even exist yet. And the biggest fail: AI couldn’t even spell AIAIay correctly.

I tried again with a different prompt. Getting closer but still not quite right. These looked more like Coca-Cola AIAIay.

Until I finally found the AI tool that did the trick.

AIAIay - Fashion

Beautiful. It makes you want to be the model, doesn’t it?

Every telenovela needs a model. And you could be ours. :)

Which item is your favourite?

Leave a comment below and I’ll choose one lucky reader/model to gift and wear the first-ever AIAIay fashion piece.

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