Music superfans are becoming valuable marketing partners for brands willing to offer more than traditional sponsorships. For Oreo and American Express, that means creating experiences, exclusive products, and content that deepen fans’ connections with their favorite artists.

Three in 4 US consumers spend money on music in a typical month, and about 20% of those consumers spend across more than five music-related activities, according to Luminate data shared during an Advertising Week New York (AWNY) panel this month.

But tapping into that spending requires understanding what fans value, and giving them something worth participating in.

Oreo makes BTS fans part of the collaboration

Oreo’s partnership with K-pop group BTS shows how brands can turn a celebrity collaboration into a participatory fan experience.

The campaign, launched across over 80 markets, featured a limited-edition cookie developed with input from all seven BTS members. Inspired by hotteok, a Korean sweet pancake, the product connected the band’s cultural heritage with Oreo’s identity.

“This was truly about being authentic with the cookie at the center and with the super fans as the key consumer and the key client,” said Eugenia Zalis, global brand and marketing vice president at Oreo, at AWNY.

The partnership was designed to go beyond putting the band’s name on packaging. Oreo incorporated collectible elements, hidden messages, and interactive experiences for BTS’s fan community.

“One of [the hidden messages] is you put the cookies together and there's a love letter from BTS to their fans,” said Zalis.

The strategy recognized that superfans don’t simply consume products and content. They collect, customize, share, and build communities around them.

“We know BTS fandoms are well known for participating: collecting, changing, modifying [a product], sharing, and really developing a very strong connection with whatever the band put out there,” Zalis said.

That participation helped turn Oreos into something fans could use to express their connection to BTS.

Fan participation drives results

Oreo’s collaboration generated significant engagement, according to Zalis.

The initial US presale sold out in 15 minutes, with approximately 75,000 people signing up for early access. Oreo’s US Instagram account generated roughly 75 million views related to the campaign, Zalis said.

Fans also transformed the collectible packaging into keychains and wallets, extending the campaign through their own content.

The campaign also invited fans to participate in a global love letter celebrating BTS, generating what Zalis described as nearly a billion messages.

For brands, the results illustrate why superfandom requires a different approach from conventional celebrity endorsements.

“There's a responsibility that comes with that too,” said Molly Bailin, senior vice president of music marketing at The Team. “You have to do it in a way that really serves that fan, while also serving your business objectives, and of course the artist as well.”

That value exchange is especially important when working with fan communities that have strong emotional attachments to artists.

“There needs to be a win-win-win for all parties,” Bailin said. “The artist has to feel like there's an authentic fit that they're authentically represented. The brand needs to achieve their business goals and business objectives, and then of course there’s the fan.”

American Express turns access into loyalty

For American Express, music partnerships are an extension of its broader membership strategy.

“American Express isn't just in the card business, we're in the business of membership,” said Janan Morgul, vice president of global music and entertainment sponsorships and experiential marketing at American Express, speaking at AWNY.

The company has moved beyond offering ticket access to creating exclusive experiences and content that bring fans closer to artists.

“We've evolved from simply providing ticket access to creating those unique and special experiences and content moments,” Morgul said.

That includes pop-up experiences tied to Harry Styles’ Together Together tour, where card members receive early access, exclusive merchandise, and opportunities to connect with other fans.

American Express also created an immersive experience around an Olivia Rodrigo music video, allowing fans to step into a recreation of the video's setting.

“We found that the strongest partnerships are about using the power of our brand to help facilitate those meaningful connections,” Morgul said.

The company’s “Story of My Song” content series with Rodrigo has reached more than 16 million fans worldwide, according to Morgul.