Inside the marketing of Bridgerton Season 3

Dear gentle readers, the ton has gathered once again to celebrate one of the most eagerly anticipated seasons of Netflix’s ‘Bridgerton.’ After a hiatus of nearly two years, the period drama produced by Shonda Rhimes under her ‘Shondaland’ banner is set to grace the streaming service on 16 May.

Based on Julia Quinn’s book series, the third season of this OTT adaptation will follow the captivating tale of Colin and Penelope. Much like its preceding seasons, fans are predicting it will be a resounding success. The show’s first season debuted in 2020, followed by the second in 2022. ‘Bridgerton’ has become quite the sensation, with both seasons charting at number 4 and number 9 in the top Most Popular TV (English) shows on Netflix.

When a series that has topped the charts and garnered a vast fan following returns after two years, it is only natural that the creators would go to great lengths to market it to its audience. From rewatch parties and international sneak peek releases to several brand collaborations, the makers have truly gone all out. Let us take a closer look at how the makers of ‘‘Bridgerton marketed Season 3.

2 years in the making…

In March 2022, Season 2 debuted on the OTT platform, drawing viewers into its captivating story. Not long after, in May 2022, Netflix revealed that Season 3 would focus on the story of Penelope Featherington and Colin Bridgerton.

In December of the same year, the showmakers shared an intriguing update that Season 3 would be split into two parts. Alongside this news, they unveiled a subtle Easter egg for book readers—an image of Penelope reflected in a mirror.

The first glimpse of Bridgerton Season 3 was revealed at TUDUM 2023: A Netflix Global Fan Event in Brazil, held in June 2023. Nicola Coughlan who plays Penelope Federington, the central character of Season 3 unveiled the first look at the event. (starts at 28:10)

On Valentine’s Day 2024, the creators unveiled the titles of all eight episodes of the season.

Regency rewatch

The official Instagram handle of ‘The Bridgerton’ recently utilised its broadcast channel to engage with viewers, offering an exclusive behind-the-scenes look at the making of Season 2. This channel became a treasure trove of exclusive content, sharing behind-the-scenes images and videos of the cast, along with diverting anecdotes about the characters and their real-life counterparts.

Over the course of a week, the channel consistently shared content from the previous season along with teasers for the upcoming one.  One of the pieces shared by the makers read — ‘Luke Newton says it was quite interesting exploring this storyline for Colin – it also meant he was off doing his own thing with very little idea of what was happening in the rest of the Ton…’ 

Another one read — Nicola found out that Penelope was Lady Whistledown in an unexpected and strange way, having done so while perusing a fan forum to absorb as much information about Penelope as possible once cast. One could imagine that it was quite the shock to find out in such a way.’ 

The broadcast channel, designed to build excitement for the latest season, saw significant engagement. Each post received close to 4K reactions, and the channel has amassed 119K members to date.

A Bridgerton collaboration 

To align with the show’s central theme of the marriage season and its focus on weddings, the creators of ‘Bridgerton’ partnered with Allure Bridals to launch a special ‘Bridgerton’ edition bridal collection.

This collection is brimming with Bridgerton Easter eggs, drawing inspiration from both the books and the series. One of the dresses is even modelled after the titular family’s home from the books. Many designs pay homage to beloved characters from the show. Each dress also features a ‘bee’ charm, a nod to the significant motif from Season 2.

Apart from this, the showmakers also collaborated with a few other brands that fit the theme of the show. 

Maison Ladurée, a French patisserie released a Bridgerton-inspired collection of macarons and patisseries, available at selected Ladurée flagships and online.

Kiko Milano debuted a limited edition beauty collection inspired by Bridgerton, with face, eye, and lip products available worldwide.

Williams Sonoma launched a Bridgerton-themed tea set and home decor.

Bath & Body Works’ collaboration saw Bridgerton-inspired home fragrances and more.  

Risqué, a nail polish brand from Brazil collaborated with the show to release a collection of eight metallic colours inspired by the series.

A regency viewing of the sets 

To provide viewers with an inside look at the stunning sets of the period drama, the makers partnered with Architectural Digest. In a special episode, viewers were treated to a behind-the-scenes tour led by production designer Alison Gartshore.

Throughout the episode, Gartshore shared fascinating details about Kate and Anthony’s new apartment, along with the previously unseen Cowper residence. She broke down the ingenious and intricate work that goes into creating the grandiose Bridgerton sets.

An international voyage

Amid its global acclaim, ‘Bridgerton’ sought to foster deeper connections with fans worldwide through a special 10-city world tour. The entire cast embarked on separate journeys, visiting different corners of the globe to meet fans and share memorable moments.

Across continents, the tour made stops in Amsterdam, Netherlands; Bowral, Australia; Dublin, Ireland; Johannesburg, South Africa; London, UK; New York, US; Rio de Janeiro, Brazil; Toronto, Canada; Verona, Italy; and Warsaw, Poland, leaving a lasting impact on fans everywhere.

A sneak peek into characters 

As the release dates approached, the official social media profiles started sharing sneak peeks into each character’s charms and more. Fans were treated to glimpses of the characters’ personalities and storylines, building anticipation for the new season.

In the final buildup to the show’s release, Netflix added to the excitement by unveiling the first five minutes of Episode 1 from Season 3 just two days before the premiere. 

As the curtains rise on Season 3 of ‘Bridgerton’, the anticipation reaches its peak, fueled by a myriad of captivating marketing strategies and creative collaborations. With eager anticipation, viewers await another memorable season, where love, mystery, and romance unfold against the backdrop of Regency London’s elegance.

Source: Social Samosa