In an interesting move, HBOlab, an online-focused offshoot of HBO, has created a Web-based reality show out of some popular YouTube personalities. By banking on the character’s existing virtual stardom, they are hoping to promote the Web series in some of the primary social-networking sites like Facebook and MySpace.

The show is called “Hooking Up” and will feature well known YouTube entertainers such as “lonelygirl15″ and “sxephil”. If you don’t know who these people are, you are part of the Internet minority, or so the show’s producers would like you to believe. Sensations like Tila Tequila have already made the leap from social networking to mainstream celebrity and with “Webisodes” like this one, we look to be entering a whole new realm of online marketing.

Not only is it more cost effective to create and promote shows online through social media, it engages an entire Web-based community that is spending more and more time cruising sites such as YouTube and Twitter to get the latest news and determine who has the goods to become the next big celebrity.

If you want to view it for yourself, Hooking Up will premier on October 1st. Check it out at hookingupshow.com.