Meghan Markle revealed her rebrand of American Riviera Orchard as she changed the name of her lifestyle brand to “As Ever,” which is as vague and unexciting “as ever.” The name sucks.
The launch comes two weeks before her Netflix show, “With Love, Meghan,” premieres on March 4th. As Ever was launched in an Instagram video in Prince Harry and Meghan’s home garden in Montecito.
Potential Legal Issues Could Cause Meghan To Rebrand A Third Time
The US trademark office refused Meghan’s trademark application for American Riviera Orchard. In the video, Meghan discussed her sudden name change.
“Last year, I had thought, ‘American Riviera,’ that sounds like such a great name. It’s my neighborhood; it’s a nickname for Santa Barbara, but it limited me to things that were just manufactured and grown in this area,”
She explained.
Meghan seemed to blame the royal family for not being able to continue sharing her love for cooking, crafting, and gardening with her fans on her blog, “The Tig.”
Meghan claimed she had to shut off her passion for food and home “for years.” She continued, ‘As Ever’ essentially means it’s always been.”
“And I haven’t been able to share it with you the same way for the past few years, but now I can, so as things are starting to trickle out there, I wanted you to hear it from me first,”
She alleged.
Before Meghan’s announcement, an internet investigation uncovered a Shopify website she’d set up for her As Ever products.
Her page also features her new logo, which is a palm tree with one hummingbird on either side, and the writing is in Meghan’s signature calligraphy.
Meghan’s new logo resembles the coat of arms of the Mallorcan town of Porreres in Spain.
Interestingly, the photo on her website is taken from Mallorca. It’s another embarrassing misstep for the Duchess, who could be forced into a third rebrand.
Don’t Launch A Brand Until You Can Legally Establish It
Branding experts suspect the rebranding was rushed, despite Meghan’s claims that the name ‘As Ever’ was established in 2022.
Yet, her picture on the site is the same one she used for ARO. It reads “As Ever,” established in 2024, which is a lie.
Not to mention, Meghan Markle filmed her entire series with the American Riviera Orchard in mind. She launched an entirely different brand for “With Love, Meghan,” abandoned it and haphazardly rebranded.
As a general rule, you shouldn’t launch a brand or its products until you get the trademark paperwork together and have it ready to go.
Meghan Markle sent her celebrity influencer friends jam containing the logo and the brand name American Riviera Orchard prior to legally establishing her brand.
Her friends, in turn, promoted the jam on social media. They essentially promoted a brand that doesn’t exist on Meghan’s behalf.
It makes us wonder why any reputable businessperson would put money behind her. The chaos and mess Meghan created was completely avoidable had she been patient and had the forethought to clear the names first.
Meghan Markle Launched ARO Prematurely
The name American Riviera Orchard was never going to get trademarked because it was too similar to Harry & David, who own the Royal Riviera trademark for their famous, juicy, and delicious hand-picked from their orchard, pears.
Meghan’s team was clearly forced to abandon American Riviera Orchard due to the trademark dispute. The catastrophic mistakes Meghan constantly makes as a “businesswoman“ are nothing short of hilarious.
The Daily Mail’s Richard Eden was the first to report Meghan’s ARO, and it looks like Meghan felt she had to launch it at that point, which is speculation but entirely possible. She launched the brand in March 2024, and it was obviously premature.
Her products are also miscellaneous and all over the place, which include candles, yoga mats, jam, gardening supplies, and various other random items.
Meghan’s trademark application for the new name As Ever is still pending. If it doesn’t get trademarked this time, Meghan’s brand will likely fail, and she’ll fall flat on her face.
