Justin Timberlake has lived in the public eye for more than 20 years. But with his latest album, Man of the Woods, he took a more personal approach than ever before, exploring themes of marriage, fatherhood and the solitude of nature. It was a very different Justin, which begged the question: how do we re-introduce fans to a version of their favorite artist they’ve never met before?

American Express had the answer.

Together, with Justin Timberlake, American Express created OUTSIDE IN. A shoppable, mixed reality music experience powered through the Amex Music app that gave Card Members unprecedented access to the creation of Justin’s fifth studio album. The experience let fans hear, see, walk-through and shop the new album in a fully immersive way — with a highly realistic, talking, volumetric version of Justin as your guide.

By aligning with a major moment in Justin’s career, and giving fans insight into that moment before anyone else, American Express found a way to seamlessly merge the brand’s goals with the artist’s priorities – culminating in a truly authentic, synergistic collaboration that drove awareness for American Express Music access – and provided an elevated experience to Card Members nationwide.

Augmented Reality (AR) let fans use their phones as a vehicle to bring Justin into their homes. Then, virtual reality let them dive through a portal to explore his world — a wild forest with surprising magical elements. Card Members used AR to shop exclusive merchandise, available within the app for a limited time – featuring items from designers Heron Preston, Pendleton, Levi’s and Ryan McGinley. And everyone could take selfies with virtual Justin to share on their social platforms.

The partnership also included multi-city, exclusive listening parties to preview Justin’s album - exclusively for Card Members, and with Justin in attendance! One listening session gave Card Members a once-in-a-lifetime experience as it was hosted at Prince’s Paisley Park, while the others provided an elevated dining experience from Rene Redzepi’s 2-michelin starred, Copenhagen-based restaurant Noma. The unique, intimate events were streamed on Facebook Live for those who weren’t able to attend, and the American Express ticket presale for Justin’s Man of the Woods tour allowed Card Members to secure tickets before the general public.

To date, the Justin Timberlake experience with American Express has garnered 3.9 billion earned PR impressions – ultimately aiding in further awareness-driving initiatives for the Amex Music platform. In a world where music is becoming increasingly commoditized, OUTSIDE IN used emerging technology to preserve the intimacy between an artist and his fans.