“At first, we couldn’t believe it. It felt way too big for our small brand”
Leah Fletcher, the founder of Athlone-based skincare and wellness brand deDANÚ, has spoken about the shock of seeing her products pop up in multiple scenes in Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy.
Leah explained to RTE that around a year ago, someone from the film’s set design team reached out to her because a crew member had been using deDANÚ’s face cream to help with postpartum acne and loved it.
When the team was looking for products to dress Bridget’s home, they thought of deDANÚ straight away.
“At first, we couldn’t believe it. It felt way too big for our small brand,” Leah admitted.
“But we sent them some products, they liked them, and they told us they’d feature them in one scene.”
The film team kept coming back for more and even invited Leah to visit the set in London. “I was too busy at the time to go over,” she laughed, “but looking back, I kind of wish I had!”
For fans keeping an eye out, deDANÚ’s elixirs can be spotted on Bridget’s bedside locker, with their hand cream and face cream taking pride of place on her dresser.
Other products appear on her mantlepiece, in the bathroom, and even in a pharmacy scene – where the production team went all out, decking out the storefront with massive deDANÚ posters featuring the tagline Made in Athlone.
Leah, her husband James, and their team took a trip to the cinema in Athlone on opening night to see for themselves.
“You never know how much will actually make it into the final cut, so we were shocked to see our products appear in about 10 or 11 different scenes,” she said. “You could never buy that kind of publicity!”
Founded in 2020, deDANÚ is run by Leah and her husband James Demello. The couple met in Vancouver before moving back to Athlone to launch their business.
Their skincare line – made with botanical ingredients, oils, and serums – is produced in a scientific facility in the town.
They were also the first brand in Ireland to incorporate cannabigerol (CBG) into skincare, navigating legal hurdles to make it happen.
Now, thanks to Bridget Jones, their small Irish brand has been launched into a global spotlight.
