Cameo Buys Celebrity Merchandise Platform Represent, Plans 'Gift Bundles'

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Cameo, the content platform that lets you pay celebrities to say happy birthday to your friend, is venturing into the branded merchandise world by acquiring Represent.

Represent develops direct-to-consumer e-commerce sites for celebrities like Ed Sheeran, Jennifer Lopez, Leo DiCaprio, Matthew McConaughey and more, according to Yahoo. Cameo purchased Represent from former owner Custom Ink, which will continue to play a part in production, fulfillment and logistics for Represent as it merges with Cameo.

Yahoo’s reporting indicates that Cameo will use the acquisition to attract new celebrities to the platform, as well as create a new revenue stream for existing users. Part of the plan includes “gift bundles,” where a celebrity video message would be paired with branded merchandise.

“Cameo was built to create the most personalized and authentic fan connections on earth, and integrating Represent’s robust talent roster and full-stack commerce offerings will enrich worldwide fan engagement and offer fans the chance to connect with even more of their favorite stars on Cameo,” the company said in a statement. “Further down the line, we envision an opportunity to let fans purchase gift bundles, including both a personalized Cameo and signature talent merch.”

“We built our platform for the top talent and change makers in the world to engage with their fans,” Represent chief marketing officer Bobby Maylack said. “Although we started with apparel, the goal has always been to figure out new and creative ways for fans to feel more connected.”

Cameo plans to fully integrate Represent’s product capabilities by 2022, making the merchandise bundles a “native part of the Cameo experience.”

Personal merchandise has been catching on with actors and other celebrities lately as more begin to recognize the revenue opportunities. Represent was founded specifically to meet that demand, but the Cameo integration seems like a logical next step. The site paid out $75 million to celebrity creators in 2020, and merchandise options will only increase the earning potential for creators on the platform.