-By Brian Morrissey

NEW YORK FedEx is proving it can deliver in social networks with a hot new Facebook application.

Released less than two weeks ago, the "Launch a Package" application lets users send virtual goods to friends, from little digital trinkets to photos and links. The items arrive in a FedEx box that the recipient opens to reveal the gifts inside. It has 258,000 total installations and more than 15,000 active users.

The success of the application is breathing new life into a FedEx microsite, launch-apackage.com, built a year ago by Omnicom digital agency Atmosphere BBDO. Although the site fared well, the agency decided the social aspect of sending packages was an ideal fit for Facebook, where virtual gift giving is a popular activity for many users.

"Two years ago, microsites were the big trend online," said Cabot Norton, creative director at Atmosphere. "We found that once on Facebook, it's more successful as a Facebook app than as a stand-alone microsite."

Steve Pacheco, director of advertising at FedEx, said the performance of the application confirmed for him the power of the brand to establish itself in new digital venues.

"We want to own virtual delivery," he said. "It's the next logical step for FedEx."