Cameo is actually a really thoughtful last
Finding the perfect, personalized gift for someone all but guarantees you'll get the warm fuzzies. In that sense, it's essentially a gift for you, too.
But one can only pick out so many customized mugs, wine-themed knickknacks, and funny socks. Plus, in a year plagued with shipping delays and supply chain issues, a digital gift seems like less fuss than a physical one — especially if it's last minute.
For those who really relish the live reaction, something like a gift card may feel a bit cold. Hear me out: A Cameo is a genuinely great personalized gift. There are a lot of different paths you could take here, so get some inspo below from people who have already given or received one of these digital videos via Cameo.
What is Cameo?
On the scene since 2017, Cameo is an app where regular people (👋) pay select celebrities to record a short, personalized video for a designated recipient. You can make one for yourself, but according to Cameo, 80% of its videos are purchased as gifts for someone else.
Celebrity categories include reality TV stars, actors (multiple people from The Office are on there), athletes, musical artists, comedians, and cringe-worthy politicians. Naturally, prices depend on how big the name is. Videos can be as affordable as $20 for someone like Bobo from Finding Bigfoot, a middle-ground $200 for Oscar Nunez from The Office, and jump all the way up to $1,350 for rapper/actor Ice Cube. The average video will cost you just around $50 though.
Some celebrities on the app donate their earnings to charity. For last-minute gifts, check out the "24 hour delivery" section that boasts stars with quick replies, like Tony Hawk and Kate Flannery. Santa himself is available if you're gifting to a kid.
But Cameo gem status isn't necessarily achieved by how famous the person is. For true gifting glory, it's the hiddengems and inside joke potential that make the most impact.
Gifting a niche Cameo is peak comedy
There's a special bond between people who share a love for something that no one else they know cares about. When that band, TV show, or team is part of the reason you're close, a Cameo from someone only they would appreciate is such a good gift.
My friends Emma and Dora are the only people I know who also religiously watch VH1's Rock of Lovein the ripe year of 2021. During the 2020 holiday season, Emma and Dora surprised me with what is now my most prized, non-tangible possession: A Cameo from one of my favorite contestants on Rock of Love. When I tell you that I screamed...
(If you're familiar with Bret Michaels' camp attempt at reality TV, it's Lacey. Lacey from Rock of Loveknows my name.)
"Gift giving is a sport to me and this is probably the best one I'll ever give," Emma told me in regards to my gift. But she was a seasoned professional at Cameo giving at that point. Another golden one was for her wife, who had just broken her ankle, from comedian Meg Stalter, who did a whole customized, hilarious improv about the injury.
Another friend, Amelia, gifted her husband a Cameo from his favorite Survivorcast member, who wished him luck on his power rankings for the current season. He was geeking out.
The celebrities themselves may not be cracking jokes, but the sheer specificity of who awaits on the other end of that play button is the real kicker here. Not only is the obscurity funny in itself— the vast majority of folks on Cameo are D-list celebrities, after all — but so is the effort it took for you to comb through Cameo to find someone who would particularly resonate. That's special.
Cameo works for more than holiday or birthday presents
Stars on Cameo are open to requests regarding the approach they take to their recording. You could mention that your recipient just got a new job or needs a pep talk, or have the celeb be the one to deliver exciting news. Sometimes, celebs will even drop an iconic punch line or perform a song.
But back to the peak comedy bit — the possibilities for pranks (heartfelt ones☝️) are endless on Cameo. I remember seeing the reaction video on Instagram when my friend Dorothy purchased a Cameo from Jerry Springer for her dad... on April Fools' Day. The instructions were simple: To convince her dad that Dorothy had entered him to be on the show (a special revival taping, to be exact, because the show was off the air at this point).
Jerry Springer was so committed to the gag that Dorothy's dad genuinely thought he was about to cross "talk show" off of his lifetime Bingo card, at least for a minute or two. The whole thing got a roar from everyone involved. Iconic.
A Cameo makes a great joint gift, too
Appeasing everyone involved in a group present — like siblings who are pooling money for a combined gift for a parent or a squad looking for a joint cheer up gift for the newly-single friend — can be tricky. Before defaulting to something generic, y'all should take a scroll through Cameo. You're bound to find someone from a show that you all obsess over together or from the team you all adore. Plus, combining your cash widens your options of stars to choose from.
My friend Bryan and his roommates could probably have a full discussion in It's Always Sunny in Philadelphiaquotes at this point. Last year, two roommates bought Bryan a Cameo from Kyle Davis, who played Lil Kev on the show. He's no Frank Reynolds or Charlie Kelly, but doesn't that almost make it funnier?
Cameo customer FOY, who bought a video from Miss J Alexander (runway diva coach extraordinaire of America's Next Top Model), gushed over the experience of gifting within a friend group in a review on Cameo's site:
"Miss J was absolute perfection - she helped us reveal who out of our group would be the Friend-Of-The-Year (selected randomly) and get to choose a travel destination for 2022! We all love watching ANTM and appreciate some dramatic flair with reveals, so this was beyond perfect as a surprise! The girls were FLOORED and the reaction video really captures it. Two of us had to keep it a secret for months and it was worth all of the anticipation!! Thank you so much Miss J we love you and you bring SO MUCH JOY to us!"
Watch someone's reaction in real time on Facetime
The Cameo itself? $50. Seeing your giftee's reaction to realizing that some beloved famous person wants THEM to have a happy new year? Priceless.
A Nov. 2021 Cameo update unlocked integration for Apple Shareplay, which allows users with iPhones to send and receive Cameos while on FaceTime. Both parties can watch in-sync with automatically-adjusting volume for everyone to hear both the video and each other. If you can't see them IRL, this is a sweet alternative.
Experiences as gifts have been on the rise, too, and I think Cameo counts as an experience. A 2019 survey by Eventbrite found that 63% of U.S. adults would prefer to receive an experience gift over a material gift. After almost two years of distant socializing and volatile entertainment schedules, experiences feel more precious than ever. (A 2021 pre-holiday survey by Adobe found that one fifth of respondents planned to gift an experience over something physical.) If you're not keen on buying tickets anytime soon, Cameo offers a unique "live" experience without guessing what your giftee is comfortable with crowd-wise.
The minimalist gift, which is technically eco-friendly since it requires no packaging or transport, is a great option for recipients who don't just want "stuff."
Opens in a new windowCredit: CameoCameo: personalized videos feat. your favorite stars