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The third season of Prime Video’s The Summer I Turned Pretty released its finale yesterday (17 September) in India, leaving fans divided once more: Team Conrad or Team Jeremiah?
Based on Jenny Han’s bestselling YA novels (the same author behind To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before), the series follows Belly (played by Lola Tung) and her coming-of-age summers caught in a love triangle between two brothers: brooding Conrad (Christopher Briney) and golden-boy Jeremiah (Gavin Casalegno).
Billboards become battlegrounds
While the show has been a global streaming hit since its debut in 2022, this season its marketing has dialled up in India. This season, Prime Video leaned into the “pick a side” narrative with billboards across Delhi, Mumbai and other cities.
One cheeky hoarding in Mumbai went viral for mimicking road signs: “Right for Conrad, Left for Jeremiah.” Suddenly, the fictional love triangle was a real-world navigation dilemma.
On social media, fan pages and influencers amplified the joke with edits, polls and reels. The result: a self-perpetuating feedback loop where fans do half the marketing for free.
From streaming to screaming
Watch parties popped up across India for the finale — a format long popular in the West but still new for India’s romance shows. Consider sports-bar screenings but replace cricket with Cousins Beach.
- In Mumbai, Prime Video itself hosted an official watch party at The Nines in Juhu.
But elsewhere, it was the fans and clubs who took charge, turning the finale into a grassroots celebration. - Delhi’s Helter Skelter bar themed a night around Belly’s journey, complete with pomegranate margaritas.
- Social outlets in Lucknow and Bengaluru transformed into mini Cousins Beach pop-ups with screenings, cocktails and live Team Conrad vs Team Jeremiah debates.
Hyderabad turned emotional, handing out tissues before capping the night with a full-blown Taylor Swift singalong. Jaipur joined the mix too, with fans gathering for their own slice of Cousins Beach (the show’s fictional seaside town) drama.
The global merch machine
On-screen integrations:
Some brands were seamlessly woven into The Summer I Turned Pretty’s universe itself.
1. Coach became an official sponsor, releasing a capsule bag-and-accessory collection inspired by the show’s final season. The brand also appeared in multiple university and travel scenes — part of a larger official sponsorship deal.
2. Catbird Jewellery: Belly’s engagement ring (the Diamond Fizz), along with charms and shell jewellery, was featured on key characters, significantly increasing real-world sales.
3. Solid & Striped: Swimwear spotted on Belly and friends tied directly to the Cousins Beach aesthetic.
4. Coca-Cola: Bottles and cans made regular cameos, especially in college sequences.
5. Paul Mitchell: Haircare products and looks integrated subtly into the cast’s summer styling.
6. Sour Patch Kids & Swedish Fish: The candy choices doubled as relationship metaphors, later spun into themed packs.
Off-screen collaborations:
Beyond the episodes, the fandom frenzy was amplified with capsule collections and campaigns.
1. Catbird: A seven-piece jewellery collab referencing scenes and symbols from the show.
2. Solid & Striped: Cousins Beach swimwear/resortwear capsule, retailing via Amazon and Shopbop.
3. American Eagle: “Belly’s Closet” apparel drop with preppy/college looks timed to the season’s launch.
4. Havmor (India): Ice-cream brand Havmor joined the cultural moment with flavour-led campaigns, tying in seasonal indulgence to the show’s summer aesthetic.
Kiss Beauty, PopSockets, Just Justice perfume, and Finch College Apparel: niche collabs covering nails, tech, fragrance and fashion, all targeting Gen Z.
India plays it differently
For Indian fans, the experience is slightly different: less merch, more community. But the formula holds: take a love triangle, split the fandom, and let debates (and marketing) write themselves. From billboards to bars, The Summer I Turned Pretty has proved that even in India, fandom isn’t just about who gets the girl. It’s about who gets the louder cheer.
This playbook isn’t new. Pop culture has long used rival allegiances, such as Team Edward vs Team Jacob in Twilight, Team Damon vs Team Stefan in The Vampire Diaries, and Marvel’s Team Iron Man vs Team Captain America, to spark debate and fuel marketing.
What’s fresh is how those tactics are being localised for Indian audiences.
