Cameo lets you hire celebrities and athletes to create personalized videos that make memorable gifts

• How does Cameo work?
• What are Business Cameos?
• Is Cameo worth it?

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• Cameo is an online service that lets people hire celebrities to create personalized videos.
• Thousands of actors, artists, and influencers have set their own rates for a Cameo video appearance.
• Cameo prices range from $1 to as high as $15,000 for personal videos, depending on the celebrity.

On Cameo, anyone can hire actors, athletes, artists, and all kinds of celebrities to create personalized video messages. These easily shareable videos can be given as a gift for birthdays, holidays, or any special occasion. 

For example, you can hire Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak to give a personal pep talk to a friend, or hire an actor, like Lindsay Lohan, to create a memorable birthday message.

Thousands of celebrities and social media influencers are available for Cameo videos — they set their own price and still have final say over whether or not they complete user requests. Prices start as low as $1 for less recognizable talent, while stars with more name recognition, like Olympic gymnast Gabby Douglas, boxer Floyd Mayweather, and venture capitalist Kevin O'Leary, charge anywhere from $900 to $15,000 per video.

For talent big and small, Cameo gives people a way to make money directly from their celebrity, and the service puts fans directly in touch with the artists they appreciate.

How does Cameo work?

To request a Cameo, you need to make an account and visit the Cameo Marketplace through the Cameo website or app, where you can sort the thousands of available celebrities based on category.

Once you've chosen your celebrity, you'll fill out a request form where you describe what you want your Cameo talent to do, in a maximum of 250 characters. Cameo accepts direct payment via credit card — US residents using iOS can also purchase "Cameo credits" to store in their account and exchange for videos later.

Once the request is completed, the Cameo talent has seven days to accept or deny the project. If accepted, the celebrity will record the video and Cameo will send a link to the video to the phone numbers and email addresses listed with the request. Users can download the video to keep forever and share however they like. 

If the hired talent doesn't fulfill the request within a week, all charges will be restored to the buyer's wallet.

Some Cameo celebrities also offer live video calls, though you can expect them to be more expensive than a standard Cameo. The Cameo app gives you the ability to chat with talent via direct messages as well. Chatting is a cheaper option if you just want to ask a celebrity a question or send a quick shout-out.

What are Business Cameos?

Cameo offers a separate service for businesses looking to promote a product or have a celebrity appear for a virtual event. Business Cameos have an average price of $1,000 but come with a different license for promotional and commercial use.

It's important to note that Business Cameos are only licensed for use for 30 days after they are created and can be used on up to three different marketing channels. Cameo says businesses must contact the company directly to extend the license beyond thirty days. Cameo Live sessions are also available for businesses and virtual events, with a starting price of $10,000.

Companies looking to book services on Cameo can browse the marketplace on their own, or they can choose to partner with Cameo for access to their VIP service. This VIP service includes a dedicated customer success representative, prioritization for your request, and a waiving of the 5% service fee. For more information about the VIP service, companies must book a call with Cameo.

Any products being sent to a celebrity for promotional purposes must be cleared through the Cameo request process in advance, and the talent is allowed to provide their honest opinion of any product they're asked to endorse.

Cameo also says that promotional videos cannot be edited, to avoid celebrity videos being used out of context. VIP service members can speak with their customer representative for a potential do-over if the celebrity says the wrong name or doesn't meet expectations.

Companies who choose to book through self-service have fewer options for rectification and can reach out via email to the customer service team. Unfortunately, there are no refunds or reshoots for Promotional Cameo videos if you're unsatisfied with the final result, so be careful before you commit.

Is Cameo worth it?

In our experience, Cameo is a worthwhile service to use for gifts. Insider fellow Reece Rogers shared their experience with purchasing a Cameo to give to their father as a retirement gift. The Cameo was from former Steelers running back Merril Hoge, and Reece's dad wholeheartedly appreciated the gift. Rogers found the site to be easy to navigate, and the personalized video arrived in just a few days. 

We recommend using Cameo to give a gift to a friend or family member, especially if you can find a celebrity on the service who they admire and is available for a reasonable price.

For more information about whether or not the service is worth it, check out Insider's full review of Cameo.

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