Timberlake Treasure Hunt

Following the release date of Justin Timberlake's latest album, The 20/20 Experience, he (along with the help of his team) hid 5 autographed copies of the album in cities across the U.S., hinting at their location via Instagram for a few lucky fans to find. 

Timberlake would dual Instagram and tweet the clues then wait. Once someone found the album, he then interacted with the "winner" by sharing their Instagram reply photos on both his Instagram and Twitter accounts, ending the whole thing with one awesome final tweet. 

This minor marketing ploy is brilliant for multiple reasons, the greatest of which is the fact that it demonstrates a very unique and compelling way for a brand — in this case Timberlake — to connect with its audience. Coupling this fun fan activity with a much-anticipated launch, like Timberlake's first album since 2007, catapulted this promo into the public eye but that doesn't mean something can't be learned...

Do you have a promo coming up that you need to get fans pumped for? Consider the simplicity of an Instagram contest (especially if the behavior of fans is already to take pictures) or "treasure" hunt.