In Bridgerton and Flonase Collaboration, Both Love and Allergies Are in Bloom

Season 3 of Shonda Rhimes’ hit Netflix series Bridgerton focuses on the relationship between Colin Bridgerton and Penelope Featherington, a pairing fans have dubbed “Polin.”

Inspired by the similarity to the word pollen, Shondaland’s agency Creative Artists Agency reached out to Haleon’s Flonase to produce a campaign tied to both allergy season and the show’s May 16 premiere.

The 90-second film, produced in London as a collaboration between Shondaland, CAA, Flonase and its media agency Publicis, resembles an episode of Bridgerton complete with a Lady Whistledown-style voiceover. As the beautifully dressed members of the Ton stroll through lush spring gardens reading about the latest gossip, they are overcome with allergies. 

They seek relief from their sneezing, runny noses and itchy eyes from an apothecary, but are disappointed to learn that the remedy won’t be available for 200 years.

“We wanted to highlight that although allergies were not officially diagnosed during that time period, it doesn’t mean they didn’t exist,” Flonase brand director Tish Tillie told ADWEEK. “Shondaland developed a fun way to show someone suffering from allergies seeking help, but they did not find a solution because they needed to wait for Flonase to be invented.”

The ad ends with an archaically styled version of the Flonase logo and the message: “There’s only room for one Polin in the Ton.”

“It was amazing to see the rigor Shondaland put into the development of the campaign,” Tillie said. “The handwritten Flonase logo is one small detail that really made the brand feel a part of the Bridgerton world in this campaign. It was a true partnership as we worked toward one common goal.”

The full film and 6-, 15- and 30-second cuts are running across social and digital. Additional collaboration is planned during the season.

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