They were once a fixture of local TV spots, usually featuring linemen hawking sofas, or a pitcher making the pitch for used cars. In recent years, celebrity endorsements have been restricted to the businesses with the deepest pockets—namely, major corporations. But Cameo wants to broaden the horizons of pitchmen and spokespeople to more small and medium-sized businesses—and, in doing so, create a new revenue stream.

Cameo is best known as a platform that lets celebrities from A-list to D-list sell customizable video messages to fans. First launched in 2017, the platform has exploded in popularity during the pandemic, aided in part by a rush of unemployed talent looking for work and a recalibration of advertising aesthetics.