Cameo Stars Brings Celebrities to Life on Fans' Facebook Pages

NEW YORK, Aug. 2 /PRNewswire/ -- Cameo Stars announced today the release of the first-ever application that enables celebrities to make virtual cameo appearances in fans' social network pages and mobile devices.  

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The Cameo Stars application, currently in public Beta on Facebook, enables consumers to have top entertainers and athletes perform and deliver a variety of personal messages and 'pokes' directly in the consumers', or their friend's, Facebook pages.  

Today's launch pioneers an entirely new entertainment outlet for celebrities by introducing "the social cameo."  Consumers have always enjoyed seeing their favorite stars making cameos in a variety of venues such as TV and film.  However, where those roles focus on the storyline or event in which the celebrity is engaged, social cameos are expressly designed for the intimate stage provided by social media, so that talent is now able to play roles more directly in, and more focused on, their fans' everyday lives.

Carmen Electra, Drew Brees, Reggie Bush, and Tony Romo are among the celebrities whose social cameos are immediately available.  Cameo Stars is currently in production with hundreds of other notable entertainers and athletes whose social cameos are scheduled to premier throughout 2010 and 2011.

"I had a blast creating my cameo star," said Carmen Electra. "It is such a clever concept and an innovative way for me to virtually socialize daily with millions of people and to be a fun addition to the important events in their lives"

2010 Super Bowl MVP and New Orleans Saints quarterback, Drew Brees, said, "Cameo Stars has been a great experience, as it allows us to add a little more personality and life to people's social media pages that never existed before. Fans are always looking for ways to feel closer to their favorite players and celebrities and Cameo Stars is an ideal way to do it."

Added Brees' teammate Reggie Bush, the Saints' running back and Heisman Trophy winner, "It always amazes me what new products come into the market to have fans feel one step closer to being on the field with us. Cameo Stars offers a unique way to touch fans while taking advantage of the social networking phenomenon which has helped us stay more connected all year round."

Dallas Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo said, "I wanted to create a Cameo Star because it's a cool idea that gives fans something they've never gotten before from attending games, watching interviews, or even buying memorabilia. Plus, it's a really great way for me to connect with fans during both the season and the off season."

Social cameos are digital products, or virtual goods, a market which has quickly grown to several billion dollars in the past few years, and which analysts project will reach $100B in the years to come.

Many Cameo Stars products are free to users. Examples include casual celebrity 'pokes' and celebrity messages to troops.  Premium social cameos, such as those for special occasions like birthdays, or whose availability is limited, must be purchased using Facebook Credits, the virtual currency recently introduced by Facebook.  

Once acquired or sent, the celebrity's social cameo plays directly in the user's Facebook newsfeed with no background or borders.

"This is a social media gift product unlike any other, enabling actors, musicians and athletes to make virtual cameo appearances in their fans digital lives while giving fans an entirely new way to share and showcase their favorite stars," said Founder and CEO Daren Hornig.  "By combining the intimacy of social media, the richness of HD video and the authenticity of viral content, we have created a way for these stars to take part in the everyday moments that are traditionally shared only through consumers' immediate social networks.  And it enables celebrity talent to participate in the multi-billion dollar virtual goods market."

Led by Hornig and Chief Marketing Officer, Gene Cornfield, Cameo Stars is a first-of-its-kind in virtual goods, where exclusive celebrity content is transformed into personalized, rich-media products – a step-up from traditional social media adornment.  

And Cameo Stars offers something new for both fans and celebrities: fans are able to satisfy their affinity for their favorite stars in a novel way, and celebrity talent is able to directly monetize their participation in social media – a feat not before accomplished.  

For more information on Cameo Stars, please visit www.cameostars.com.  The application is in public Beta on Facebook at www.facebook.com/cameostars, and is appropriate for all Facebook users.  Cameo Stars can be followed on Twitter at www.twitter.com/cameostars.

About Cameo Stars:

Launched in 2010, Cameo Stars is the first and only company that enables celebrities to make virtual cameo appearances in the everyday lives of fans online.  Consumers can now collect or send top entertainers and athletes to perform and deliver a variety of personal messages directly in the consumer's, or their friend's, social network page or mobile device.  Invented, created, and distributed by the company, the "social cameos" transform exclusive celebrity content into virtual goods designed expressly for the intimate stage that social media provides.  For more information on Cameo Stars and its offerings, please visit www.cameostars.com.

SOURCE Cameo Stars