What it is
AI yearbook is a format where an app takes 8-12 of your selfies and generates dozens of "graduation" portraits in 90s style: different hairstyles, outfits and poses. The main engine behind it was the Korean app Epik (Snow Corp, a Naver subsidiary).
Where it came from
- The underlying tech is fine-tuning a model on a handful of the user's photos (a personal "imprint" of the face).
- In October 2023 Epik hit #1 in the App Store precisely because of the AI Yearbook feature.
- Early adopters posted before/after slideshows on Instagram — and that kicked off the chain reaction.
Why it took off
- Nostalgia plus the instantly recognizable 90s aesthetic hits the emotion dead-on.
- "I want one too" works perfectly: the format makes friends copy it.
- The result is pretty and "social" — you want to share it immediately.
How to use it right now
- Reuse the virality template — personal, nostalgic, easy to copy — in your own campaigns.
- The same effect is free now: ChatGPT/Gemini images, or ComfyUI plus a LoRA on your own photos.
- For a brand: "try on your look in the style of X" is a working engagement mechanic.
What to watch out for
- Privacy: uploading a dozen photos of yourself to someone else's service — think about who you're handing your biometrics to.
- One-look trends burn out in weeks; the value is in understanding the mechanic, not in the specific feature.
- Pay-per-result is a common model for these apps; check the price before you upload.