Dearest gentle reader…
I’m sure, like this author, you must be aware that season three of Bridgerton is the talk of the Ton. The tuneful strains of violins giving new dimension to Pitbull echo throughout Mayfair and beyond, leaving many a fan a-flutter. I will leave it to you, dear reader, to decide if by fan, I mean the device ladies use to cool themselves, or those enamoured of the Bridgerton world…
by Jill Spurr
So, it would seem only right, dear reader, in today’s society papers, to discuss the many and interesting lessons for the ladies and gentlemen of the Communications profession that might be gleaned from this most captivating and glittering of seasons. So, I offer for the delectation of Queen Charlotte and others, three lessons from Season three.
1. Details, details
Nothing happens by chance in Bridgerton’s production - it is heaped with symbolism through colour and music.
The most obvious one is that the Bridgerton family always dress in shades of blue, primarily one particular shade: Wedgewood Blue. It’s a neat way of emphasising the family’s social status in Bridgerton’s unique modern Regency way, by taking something familiar and reworking it to seem of the time (Season 3 is set in 1815).
When Penelope swaps her gaudy citrus yellow for something more dignified, it’s no accident she opts for green, which sits in between yellow and blue on the spectrum – she is heading towards Bridgerton blue, and her future. Couples often dress to reflect each other’s outfits too.
The sets also show colour used to great effect; the Cowper’s dark and oppressive home reflects their dark and oppressive papa or Lady Tilley Arnold’s ornate, deep red bed.
Music too adds another dimension to the storytelling, taking modern songs arranged for strings to sound quasi-Regency, but check out the lyrics too. Penelope’s new look revealed to the chorus of Gayle’s abcdefu and yes, we are back to that carriage scene again.
As Bobette Buster said in “Do Story”, effective storytelling appeals to all the senses, and Bridgerton is a masterclass in using detail to do just that.
2. You can’t outrun a negative reputation with a new look
Central to season 3 is the glow-up of Miss Penelope Featherington. Realising that she was unlikely to achieve her objectives – to marry favourably and therefore escape the family home – in the yellows, oranges and eye-seering hues her mama favours, Penelope invests in herself. She changes her dress, her hair, her makeup and her outlook, rebranding herself as something more serious in the hope this is seen as marriage material.
On first look, she is sophistication itself, having requested the modiste create her a dress like the ladies wear in Paris. But it soon becomes apparent that she hasn’t done the work that backs up the visuals; her messaging is off, her communication clumsy and lacking in focus so her key messages just don’t come through. Although on the surface she looks very different, society very quickly concludes she is still an awkward wallflower.
But when she takes on some experienced consultancy, and reflects on how she might better express herself… well, that’s the storyline of this first part of the season.
3. Inclusion is beautiful
One of the greatest charms of Bridgerton is that inclusion is part of its fabric. Produced by Shondaland, the production company set up by Shonda Rhimes, Bridgerton positively revels in people of diverse ethnicities making up Regency society, and it’s simply how it is. There’s no false equivalency, no positive discrimination, just a diverse and talented ensemble cast getting on with producing great drama. It’s all part of the gorgeous tableau.
Undoubtedly, Regency London’s population would have looked very different, but that’s of little relevance, because Bridgerton is a reimagining of that world, not a history lesson. Leave that to Downton Abbey.
And while the loose storyline reflects society of the time – inheritance down the male line, women coming out into society to find a husband – what in fact we have is cast and storyline dominated with really strong female characters. There is work to be done on representation of same sex relationships – which is in the pipeline – but Bridgerton in unashamedly there for women.
Disability is also in the mix: a lord in a wheelchair, a deaf debutant signing her response to the Queen’s disdain. But perhaps the greatest lesson in disability-inclusion is in the audio description. Accessible communications should never be a less-than experience for its users, and Bridgerton’s audio description is currently going viral. It’s not often that accessibility does that, but this is a masterclass in immersive experience.
Yes, dearest gentle reader, we are back to that carriage ride again. Perhaps we should journey with Penelope and Colin one more time, for research purposes obviously… ah, the burdens on we Communications professionals.
Jill Spurr is head of communications and marketing at Affinity Trust. You can say hello on Twitter at @dreamworkbc
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