Cameos, a video app from Google that lets celebrities answer questions about themselves is shutting down.
Google said in an email to participants that it’s shuttering its Cameos app on Feb. 17, and existing videos posted via the app will no longer be shown on Google.
Google said it “learned a lot” from the invite-only pilot it launched nearly four years ago, but it will be “focusing efforts on other content creation projects.”
Google’s Cameos project appears to have generated little traction. Don’t be surprised if you haven’t seen a celebrity Cameos video in a recent Google search (though it did work with a handful of A-listers like The Rock and James Franco).
At its launch, Google’s (NASDAQ: GOOGL) app raised eyebrows from fans of Cameo, the Chicago-based startup that lets fans request video messages from celebs. While not a 1-to-1 competitor exactly, Google’s video app was targeting similar notable figures, and of course shared its name.
Cameo CEO Steven Galanis was quick to note Google’s Cameos demise on Twitter.
RIP Google Cameos 2018-2022 🙏🏽 pic.twitter.com/s5scKRWEKu
— Steven Galanis (@Mr312) January 22, 2022
Google isn’t the only tech giant that’s encroached on Cameo’s territory in recent years. Facebook is developing its own Cameo-like tool, called Super, which lets fans interact with celebrities and influencers during live broadcasts. The feature, like Google’s Cameos, appears to have little momentum. Its last virtual event took place Dec. 11.
TikTok is testing a feature called Shoutouts that lets users request and pay for video messages from TikTok creators. The feature has been tested in markets like Turkey and Dubai, according to Buzzfeed.
Cameo, founded in 2017, raised $100 million last year at a $1 billion valuation. The startup now has more than 350 employees.
