The day is finally here! After much anticipation, Bridgerton Season 3: Part 1 has been released on Netflix!
For this season, fans are already aware that the spotlight will be held on characters Colin and Penelope, AKA Polin (a nickname that has helped one brand immensely as you can read below), and their developing love story due to teasers, trailers, and media releases.
The countdown has felt like it has been going on forever as it has been two years since season two was released (this blew my mind!).
Apart from the fact that, in my opinion, the show and books are awesome, it can be a challenge keeping fans engaged with a long gap between series.
But Bridgerton has done this spectacularly well.
This blog will look at the success of Bridgerton’s marketing strategies, including advertising collaborations, teasers and trailers, events, and merchandise for season 3.
Also, the team has not only won fans’ hearts, but a Guinness World Record too!
So Dearest Reader, take a seat in your most relaxing chair, and enjoy the delights of this tantalising read!
Marketing Strategies
Teasers and Trailers
Of course a great way to get fans engaged is content!
This can be achieved through glimpses of the show, so fans can see hints of the vision for the series. This builds curiosity and longing, as understandably viewers want to see more!
This season also has an edge because we know from the off the two characters that will fall in love- Colin and Penelope. Because we have followed their stories in season 1 and 2, there is already organic anticipation building of how fans are going to see them fall in love on screen.
Lovers of the books (me included) also have some mystery about the series as we know from previous seasons that new plotlines and characters can be added to enhance and develop the existing story too.
The first teaser landed 3 months ago and the chemistry developing between Polin was palpable. This definitely set the tone for the upcoming series. Check it out here:
Fans then waited another two months to see the full trailer below:
As you can see, dropping content in bursts can be a great way to build anticipation for a show and gives fans all the familiar feelings of why they fell in love with series 1 in the first place!
Advertising Collabs
I just had to put this example in here as I thought it was a genius move.
As reported by MM+M, the brand Haleon teamed up with the show on a cheeky social media campaign featuring their flagship allergy product Flonase.
Why? Because of the fan favourite nickname, Polin.
As stated,
‘Recognising the play on words, Creative Artists Agency- Shondaland’s talent agency- reached out to Haleon chief marketing officer Katie Williams about a potential collaboration. While Shondaland and CAA drove the creative, the Flonase team and Haleon’s media agency Publicis Le One made sure the brand was featured authentically in the spots.’
(For context, Shondaland is the production company behind Bridgerton).
The result? See for yourself:
This is another example of the Bridgerton team getting ahead of the game and seizing relevant marketing and advertising opportunities that do not stray away from the essence of the Bridgerton brand.
This opportunity was a hit with fans who thought it was a great example of smart marketing.
Especially the line at the end: ‘There is room for only one Polin in this Ton’.
Marketing Events
In a change from where the ton would normally see the cast of Bridgerton promenading (London Mayfair), this year the world premiere was hosted in New York City on May 13th, 2024.
Although everyone loves a premiere, Netflix and Bridgerton took this one step further for the fans and created a Bridgerton Promenade Experience in New York which was open to the public on May 11th, 2024.
This one-day event consisted of a bustling market experience, complete with cute stalls, giveaways, photo moments, period dance performances, and a string quartet.
Some members of the cast also made an appearance too!
Have a look at influencer Hannah Claire’s experience of the event:
This was a great way to give back to U.S. fans by making an exclusive event that they could enter for free and it helped them feel a part of the upcoming premiere experience. They also had a competition to win a pair of tickets to the premiere too!
Merchandise
Where there is a hit TV show or film, merchandise collaborations always follow.
There have been some interesting and quite beautiful collabs ready for season 3.
Here are some examples:
- Kiko Milano– limited edition 24-piece beauty collection inspired by Bridgerton, including face, eye and lip products.
- Bath and Body Works– 36-piece collection of custom Bridgerton-inspired home fragrances, including candles, room sprays, mists, soaps and more.
- Primark– collection includes decorated items such as a satin robe, pyjamas, teacups, and saucers.
- Republic of Tea– will debut four new teas inspired by the season’s lead characters: Colin & Penelope Ginger Peach Vanilla Tea, Eloise Lemon Mint Black Tea, Francesca Rose Chamomile Tea, and Bridgerton Brothers Triple Earl Grey Tea.
- Allure Bridals– teamed up with spinoff show Queen Charlotte’s costume designer Lyn Elizabeth Paolo to debut a Bridgerton inspired wedding collection!
Take a look at some of the examples in action!
A World Record Series
Finally, if this blog hasn’t convinced you of Bridgerton’s marketing success, maybe this will…
‘Bridgerton has claimed a spot in the record books as the most in-demand romantic drama TV show’, as reported by The Guinness World Records!
Bridgerton has taken the top spot from TV show Outlander, ‘with data-science firm Parrot Analytics calculating the raunchy period drama’s global demand rating at 33.9 times greater than that of the average TV show.’
They also reported that demand for season 3 is about twice as high than season 2.
They noted that airing Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story in between these seasons probably contributed to keeping fans engaged and enthusiastic, as well as giving new fans a way to enter the Bridgerton universe.
Summary
Overall Bridgerton’s marketing strategies for Season 3: Part 1 have been exceptional.
Through tantalizing teasers, clever advertising collaborations, engaging events, and a wide array of merchandise, the show’s team have kept fans eagerly anticipating the new season despite a two-year gap.
I can’t wait to watch it and I only hope it continues to capture fans’ hearts as it did when it was first released on Christmas Day in 2020!
Want to discover more TV and Movie Marketing Strategies? Check out Escapade’s blog posts on the Barbie Movie: 5 Consumer PR Strategies that Have Won Fans’ Hearts! and Why Mean Girls was not Promoted as a Musical!
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Sources
https://www.netflix.com/tudum/articles/bridgerton-dresses-products-2024
Blog Cover Photo: SeventyFour/istockphoto.com
