I’m not going to pretend to know the real story of the Duchess of Sussex’s lifestyle brand or how it evolved from American Riviera Orchard to As Ever. Meghan announced the name-change last night in a sweet IG video, and the British press has been hyperventilating ever since. I finally checked in on the Daily Mail and they’re still talking about how they found one guy in Montecito who says he never heard of anyone refer to Santa Barbara as the “American Riviera.” That’s how panicked they are – they’re claiming that Meghan changed the name because one guy had never heard of it. They’re also trying to figure out the timeline and how Meghan fooled them:
Meghan Markle’s rebranding of American Riviera Orchard was today called a ‘total rush’ using ‘recycled’ promos made a year ago. The relaunch leaked online at least 24 hours before her Instagram announcement, MailOnline can reveal – and came just a fortnight before her new lifestyle show with business partner Netflix is broadcast.
As Ever has been launched in a breathless selfie-style video and will sell jam – first trailed by Meghan and her famous friends last year – plus what looks set to be huge homeware and gardening ranges in the US.
Prior to Meghan’s announcement last night, internet sleuths had already discovered a Shopify website she’d set up for her As Ever products, featuring an unseen picture of the Duchess cooking. The shot of the Duchess of Sussex using a mixing bowl is believed to have been taken during Meghan’s original American Riviera Orchard (ARO) promo almost a year ago. She is wearing the same white outfit and appears to be in the same kitchen filmed for the brief teaser trailer filmed when ARO’s existence was revealed last March 14.
It also appears Meghan and her team made a last-minute change about the branding and the previous URL as-ever-store.myshopify.com now takes shoppers to her new website asever.com. The mixing bowl picture of Meghan was last night replaced by the picture of her holding hands with her daughter Lilibet in the garden of their Montecito mansion as they skip across the lawn.
One branding expert told MailOnline today: ‘It appears to have been a total rush – despite what Meghan says about As Ever going back to 2022. They’ve clearly had to abandon American Riviera Orchard but recycle all the promos due to the trademark dispute. The leak happened yesterday and you have to wonder if her hand was forced’.
While Mark Borkowski, arguably Britain’s leading PR guru and crisis manager, has said he believes the U-turns are all clever tactics to get publicity. He said: ‘This isn’t an identity crisis. It’s a business model. Meghan isn’t floundering; she’s fluctuating on purpose. The perpetual reinvention, the strategic vagueness—it’s all by design. The more unpredictable she is, the harder it is to take her down. She’s not trying to be Goop; she’s trying to be a mystery. The product she’s selling? Endless curiosity about Meghan Markle. So maybe she’s not losing control of her narrative—maybe we are’.
Their “insiders” claiming that this rebrand was a “total rush” are missing something – that Meghan used ARO as a front and hid As Ever on purpose. It makes perfect sense that ARO was always supposed to be something vague for the tabloids to chew on and obsess over, meanwhile Meghan and Netflix have been putting As Ever together behind the scenes. People were tracking ARO and all of the trademark issues, and now all of that looks like tabloid busywork. “But she recycled the images!” Yeah… she did a product photoshoot and used a couple of those images for people to find as they were doing deep dives on ARO?
Photos courtesy of Backgrid, IG video, As Ever site.
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- Whistler, CANADA – Meghan Markle, Duchess of Sussex, attends the Whistler Welcome Celebration for the Invictus Games Vancouver Whistler 2025 in Canada. She delivers a heartfelt speech praising Prince Harry’s dedication to the Games and their family. Pictured: Meghan Markle BACKGRID USA 10 FEBRUARY 2025 USA: +1 310 798 9111 / usasales@backgrid.com UK: +44 208 344 2007 / uksales@backgrid.com *UK Clients – Pictures Containing Children Please Pixelate Face Prior To Publication*
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- Whistler, CANADA – Meghan Markle, Duchess of Sussex, was spotted at a tubing event during the 2025 Invictus Games. She cheered on participants and enjoyed the winter festivities. Pictured: Meghan, Duchess of Sussex BACKGRID USA 11 FEBRUARY 2025 USA: +1 310 798 9111 / usasales@backgrid.com UK: +44 208 344 2007 / uksales@backgrid.com *UK Clients – Pictures Containing Children Please Pixelate Face Prior To Publication*
Oh dear the gutter press are all up in arms because she fooled them!! She knows how they operate so she put a carrot out there for them to chew on and they took the bait hook line and sinker. Now they are like we got fooled and we must try to make people think she did this in a rush. Let the gutter press swim in their river of tears. She gotcha!!!
Imagine a brand she trademarked in 2022 being a rush job LOL!
NOW they’re running a headline that she plagiarized the “coat of arms” from a Spanish town in Mallorca (palm trees and hovering birds on either side). Total sh*t-stirrers SMDH
They just can’t leave this woman in peace!
As usual, the Mail is leading with misinformation. The image is licensable:
https://commons.m.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Escudo_de_Porreras_(Islas_Baleares).svg
Anyone can use it and make variations on it.
From what she said, it sounds like she initially wanted ARO, Netflix decided to invest, she realized the name wouldn’t work, switched to As Ever, which she had trademarked earlier, and they just didn’t tell anyone. And that’s perfectly fine and not a bad sign of anything.
Exactly, I don’t see why we need to spin this as something that is not. If anything, it’s great that she managed to pivot so well and that Netflix decided to get on board.
All I want is for Meghan to sell her skincare. Her skin is flawless and glows.
@Joanne, Meghan is on record in the past as using Tatcha products. I gave it a try last year and it’s definitely worth it. I carry the Dewy Skin Mist everywhere! And the rice polish is gentle enough to use on my sensitive skin several times a week. They contribute to causes like educating girls around the world, as well.
Yes – Tatcha has wonderful skin care and so beautifully packaged!
This line: ‘So maybe she’s not losing control of her narrative—maybe we are’.
Slight correction. No matter how hard you tried, you never really had control over their narrative. You never changed any minds that weren’t already deranged.
Oh, these tabloids and haters will be in hog heaven when she launches – SO much to over-analyze, nitpick, assault and pompously criticize. They’ve been obsessively harping on stale crumbs from the past because they’ve been so locked out. Now they’ll have more content than they can possibly keep up with – heads will explode. They need to send Meghan a cut of the revenue she brings to them.
Yes, I am 100% sure people are plotting, in advance, to breathlessly report how her products made them sick/gave their kid a rash/tasted artificial, whatever. They know what they’re going to say, how they’re going to get attention doing so (including selling stories to the press and recording viral videos) and now just have to wait for the line to launch. It’s disgusting.
Laughing at the ones who may have already bought/reserved parody names or already banked content so as to be first out of the gate going after ARO–jokes on you, guys.
Bitterness because they were tricked and because nobody from Netflix told them anything despite claims to have insider sources. And where is all this whining about recycling images when W&K give them nothing new but old stills from their video?
Exactly, if it is launching in 2 weeks It must have been in production under this name for months and nobody at Netflix leaked. They are embarrassed because they have been fooled!
Right? Nobody is rebranding a product line in 2 weeks. Graphics/logo design time, packaging, products themselves, comms and web, those things all take time. I believe this has been in the works a long while and they did a very good job throwing the tabloid trash off the real trail. The real product line has a much better name, too!
😂😂😂 The way I love to think about them stalking ARO all for naught. They got played for fools.
They were always fools she just showed them up and everyone has seen it. Best gotcha!!
That’s what I find so funny about this tantrum that the media are having about using parts of a previously done promo when they are completely silent about the Wales who are the recycle king and queen of photos and screenshots. Every year they do one big photo shoot and use photos from it throughout the year for birthdays, Mothering Day and Father’s Day. They just released their first ever Valentine Day photo using an awkward looking screen shot from their cringe Summer’s Eve commercial. The family that is publicly funded and is paid to perform and be seen, releases previously seen awkward and usually photoshopped photos, but somehow financially independent Meghan is doing something to complain about. As if.
How many more failed attempts at bringing down Meghan will it take for the Fail to realize their guy in Montecito, Richard Mineards, is only reliable to be used for one thing only, and that is being a source of mis- and disinformation.
He doesn’t know a thing and doesn’t seem to know anyone who knows a thing.
They never will realize it because they think that in the time of Google that one unnamed ignoramus not knowing the nickname of the place he lives at takes the place of the millions or billions of people who are capable of using Google to see that Santa Barbara is in fact nicknamed The American Riviera.
Was coming here to post that Richard Mineards, former DM hack, is their guy in Montecito. The DM has used him a few times as an “angry neighbor” of the Sussexes and it’s all so sad and transparent.
Actually nothing was final until it was. True in all consumer goods, a biz I spent my career in. Only difference is all the sausage making happens in conference rooms usually and we are not privy to it. But the tabs have tried to present the standard product and brand develpment as chaos. Same with her television and audio productions. You judge these projects by their actual outcomes but the brits are convinced they know better when they actually have no business savvy at all. I am certain H&M have been very satisfied with all of it all along and have never risen to the bait of the tabloid and royalist trolls.
Well, it’s not that surprising. The folks who write for British tabloids are mostly people on the outermost fringes of the upperclass who aren’t able to get or hold down a decent paying job in any other industry that they consider acceptable.
🎯
I love it for the Fail that they are kept outside the loop, not knowing what Meg is going to do next and long may that continue. If she’d have stayed walled up by the Palace then they’d have had their paid spies and informants. Now they just have crickets and the dullards to talk up as being the best thing since sliced white bread!!
As Ever, Meghan wins and it’s a beautiful thing 💞💐✨
Netflix being a partner for Meghan’s business blows up the Netflix is dropping Meghan narrative. Also if Meghan is such a nightmare to work with, why would a multimillion dollar entity like Netflix work with her? A negative image runs the risks of hurting profits. The British press look like bigger idiots for smearing Meghan on palace orders and buying into and pushing the bullying allegations and “investigation”. With Netflix on board with Meghan, it’s announcing the bullying charges led by Jason the Knife Knauff are BS. Once again the BM’s credibility is the toilet and the Fail’s screed is an attempt to regain it.
I feel so confused. Meghan herself said everything started with ARO but after some more thinking and time it just didn’t fit. Where is this story coming from? That ARO was nothing more than a cover?
At first it was her choice apparently. Later it was likely used as deflection so that nobody knew about the change.
The fact that the media and haters have been having fits about a brand being called one thing and going to the point of stalking everything related to it as well as trying to hijack it only for the brand to finally be released by Meghan as As Ever just before launch is where this is coming from. They’ve been going on this rant for a long time only for it to be in the works to be named something entirely different. The new logo and trademark shows that this has been in the works for quite some time now.
I feel like the Netflix partnership component may be the only part that was really changed/amended? Perhaps Netflix wanted a cut of the profits in exchange for producing the show for XYZ number of seasons? Regardless, it’s a smart move for both Meghan and Netflix.
I don’t believe ARO was some huge cover from the start. But it usefully served as one once the name change was decided. So it remains true that tabs were desperately searching ARO trademarks when at that point the name had changed but they had no idea. That’s why it’s funny and people are calling it a cover. Meghan and Netflix deliberately withheld the name change while the tabs were fixating on ARO.
It’s the British Media that have turned Meghan into a money making machine. Netflix is not the number one streaming platform because it’s not making money 💰 now it’s Meghan’s turn to make money of her name 😍they can’t stop writing about her now because she’s their best selling product 😍
I, as ever, I am in search of the “gotcha“ that these tabloids think they have. Even if AE :was: plan B because ARO was not approved…… and what? names and branding are rejected all of the time, people have to pivot every single day. So what?
This was a rush job to rebrand just like Netflix is dumping Meghan and Harry right? The desperation on Shutter Island is delectable 😂😂
lol the guy claiming he has never heard the term American Riviera. It’s decades old and widely known. The big travel mags always use the term to tag the Santa Barbara coast. Hell, there’s even an American Riviera Bank in Santa Barbara.
LOL. The DM is scrabbling here. It’s clear that they were left flat footed by the switch. I think it’s funny that while the British press spent so much time looking at ARO Meghan was working on As Ever.
I think that is the whole story – those reporters had everything ready to go to tear American Riviera Orchard down. Now all this time is wasted, no money to be earned from it. Also this is something that would be wildly expected, am I right? So if this was a deliberate cover up from Netflix & Meghan, fair enough. And well played. Still 2 weeks to go.
What is it that Harry and Meghan supporters say? They launch completed projects- Announcing “keeness” is the MO of another.
For 5 years now, the Daily Fail – mostly by the hands of their ‘star gossipers’ Maureen Eden and Caroline Graham in California and their hateful columnists -has been doing the most to kill and tarnish Meghan’s (and Harry) businesses, brand and partnerships, after they’d found out that – within 4 MONTHS of setting up base in California, H&M had scored 3 bigr deals worth adlaest $150 Million (Netflix (films & docuseries), Spotify (podcast), Penguin Random House (a bit later; memoir).
Since then every article they’ve published is about how they’ve failed as business persons (I’ll sign for being such a failure with those contracts worth millions of dollars), about how they are losing popularity in the US, how they are losing staff left and right, , how Meghan bullies her staff, how no one wants to work/to do business with them (well, together they won 5 prestigious prizes in as many different sectors; in business, advocacy and in philanthropy), about how their charity Archewell Foundation is not raising enough money (in fact they said, we good – we don’t need much more than we need to spend and willing to grant out).
The foolish British tabloids and media must be exhausted to have to catch up with the successes of the Sussexes, who outsmart them and their lies left and centre; from winning every court battle, to back-foot them regarding what’s going on in their private lives and with their businesses. There are no (well, hardly any) leaks in the Sussex camp/in Montecito.
What an embarrassing the UK press and media has become. Stay made, keep making a fool of yourselves. Your credibility is doing fine.
Corrections;
.. big ..
.. an embarrassment ..
Stay mad.
They carry on like a jealous ex spouse who left an abusive marriage 5 whole years ago but can’t accept it is over and their ex doesn’t want to return. Sadly they believe that their ex is nothing without them and that the ex has no right to succeed in their life and career.
“What an embarrassing the UK press and media has become. Stay made, keep making a fool of yourselves. Your credibility is doing fine…”
What ELSE can we expect from the CARNIVAL OF SO CALLED EXPERTS.
🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣💯
They’re going to be laughing all the way to the bank.
She is so smart and they are so pissed LMFAOOOO HA!
I don’t think she launched ARO as a cover for As Ever. She tried out the name, saw the reaction to it (it was pretty mixed), had issues with the patent, and decided sometime last year to rebrand it to a different name. It makes sense with the timeline, there was a flurry of her ARO jam being shown on Instagram by her celeb friends. Then it was quiet for months which is when she was probably reworking the name. Meghan being Meghan, she also filed patents for back up names just in case so she had one ready to go in case ARO didn’t work out. She also probably learned after rebranding Sussex Royal to Archewell–this is not the first time she’s had to do a name swap for a business. I can’t wait to see what she sells!
And not the first time we’ve seen someone rename a business. Anyone remember how Kim initially launched Skims as Kimono? It didn’t affect her business though and Skims has gone to be very successful!
I agree with everything you said, but I also think that this is exactly what gave them the idea to use it as a cover and keep going. One thing led to another and created magic 😍
I agree with you, Meghan decided to let the British media go to town on ARO while she was rebranding, thus not announcing the name change until 2 weeks ahead of time. I find this HILARIOUS!
Time for a shallow observation,; the material and neckline cut of this blouse is beautiful!! Love it. Anyone have an opinion on the fabric?
That’s quality linen. Beautiful fabric.
It really is beautiful linen. Part of me is hoping it’s J Crew but curious if anyone will be able to identify it.
I do believe she launched ARO as a cover for As Ever. I believe she knew exactly what she was doing – knowing these deranged people would go after her – she gave a dog a bone! She knew those riding with her wouldn’t care. I had said all along that Meghan and Harry are putting together *something we have never witness before – a game plan many of us will be able to apply to the same flying monkeys in our lives! Showing us away to move in this world of hate! And I’m taking notes for this *Masterclass because as a Black person in the US, and where I see our country going in the next 4 years – I NEED THIS! I also believe in the next 5 years H&M will be Billionaires. And I believe Netflix believes that too….
@GHOPE, I cosign each and every word you wrote. Brilliantly written.
You are absolutely right.
Meghan is extremely smart and Harry is much brighter than the courtiers/press ever realized.
God bless them and may their bitter and angry enemies continue to get the faces they deserve.
It is wonderful how leak proof Meghan and Harry’s inner circle and business partners are because it protects them AND annoys the rota. No wonder Willy rages constantly through the invisible contract and is so jealous. He wants his life.
We have been inundated with tabloid stories based upon alleged Netflix insiders and sources about how unhappy Netflix was with H&M, that they would not renew their contract and anything more they could dream up. Yet, when the biggest story about Netflix and Meghan breaks the tabloid’s insiders and sources were quiet, I wonder why?
Translation: THE BRITISH MEDIA GOT PLAYED!😅🤣😂😅🤣😂😅🤣🤣🤣😂🤣🤣😅🤣🤣😂😂🤣🤣😅😅😅🤣🤣😂😂😂🤣😅😅😅🤣🤣😂😂😂🤣😅😅😅😅🤣🤣😂😅😅😅🤣🤣🤣🤣😅😅😅😅🤣🤣😂😂
There’s no way in hell that Netflix is going to invest in some slapdash rush job. The name As Ever had to be lawyered to make sure it wasn’t being used by anyone else. The Fail is hilariously bad at knowing how things work.
The guy literally said, “the harder to take her down.” They actually admit they want to take down a woman who left their country 5 years ago and who is just living her life with her husband and children. Such a sad, nasty country. She will never return and don’t hold your breath about the kids coming anytime soon. Absolutely disgusting, “harder to take her down.”