Meghan and the Preemptive Brand Makeover
As Ever, the Duchess of Sussex turns setbacks into strategy
The Duchess of Sussex has made headlines once again with a major pivot in her business ventures. Meghan’s much-anticipated lifestyle brand, originally launched as American Riviera Orchard, has now been rebranded as… As Ever. The shift, which comes just weeks before the premiere of the Duchess’s new Netflix series (With Love, Meghan) raises an interesting question: was this a strategic evolution or a necessary course correction?
The initial brand name, American Riviera Orchard, was a clear nod to Santa Barbara, where Meghan and Prince Harry reside. However, the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office will not register a name if it includes a commonly used geographic location—making the trademark process difficult for Meghan’s initial stab at lifestyle branding.
In response, she and her business partners have framed the change as a creative choice, explaining in an Instagram video that the original name felt “limiting” and that she wanted something broader to encompass her vision for cooking, gardening, and entertaining.
This explanation (and the accompanying social media video) is a masterclass in PR spin. Rather than acknowledging that American Riviera Orchard faced legal roadblocks, Meghan has repositioned the shift as a natural evolution. It’s a familiar pattern in her public image—turning obstacles into opportunities and maintaining control of the narrative.
The new name, As Ever, is deliberately open-ended and evocative—a departure from the geographically specific branding of her previous venture. It aligns perfectly with Meghan’s overarching approach to branding. It’s personal, yet universal; exclusive, yet relatable. Interestingly, it turns out that Meghan has been subtly hinting at this rebranding for months. She often signs her Instagram posts with “As Ever, Meghan” or “As Ever, M.” She’s embedded the new brand name in plain sight—giving audiences Easter Eggs long before the official announcement.
Her brand aesthetic remains polished and aspirational, much like her former lifestyle blog, The Tig, and signals a return to a space where Meghan can craft a public image distinct from the constraints of royal protocol.
The brand’s new….crest? logo? is elegant and luxe, featuring a palm tree flanked by two hummingbirds. It can be seen on As Ever’s brand new webpage, which features a new picture of Meghan and her daughter Princess Lilibet.
A note I found interesting: hummingbirds, as a motif, have appeared both in Prince Harry’s memoir, Spare (where he refers to Aztecs considering them reincarnated warriors, and Spanish explorers called them (resurrection birds”) and in the Harry and Meghan Netflix series (who can forget Prince Archie being to preoccupied with his dirty foot to pay any attention to the birds that have his papa so enraptured?)
Notably, As Ever launches alongside Meghan’s Netflix series on March 4th, which will showcase her engaging in activities like cooking, beekeeping, and flower arranging—activities that will likely tie into future product offerings. The collaboration extends to Netflix’s upcoming retail locations, where As Ever products will be featured, further blending Meghan’s personal brand with corporate partnerships. The partnership is, undoubtedly, mutually beneficial; Meghan gets an established production line and retail outlet to back her, and Netflix increases awareness of their venture into physical product.
For her own part, it’s clear that Meghan is positioning As Ever as more than just a lifestyle brand (although, with a Netflix partnership as her backbone, there will certainly be some decisions primarily focused on financial success). But As Ever also reads like a statement on reinvention, resilience, and self-styled elegance. While the name change may have been born out of necessity rather than purely out of ~vision~, it’s been presented as a seamless evolution, reinforcing Meghan’s ability to take control of her own narrative.
Whether consumers will embrace this new iteration remains to be seen, but one thing is certain: As Ever, Meghan knows how to keep us talking.
I’ll be including more commentary on this marketing move on this week’s episode of Off With Their Headlines! As it happens, I’m off to record with
right now. Catch this week’s episode on Thursday, wherever you get your podcasts.
I like it, it's definitely a better brand name.
I like it too. And for all of Vanity Fair's insistence that she's let people down for not changing anything, UGH she is amazing just for being alive and happy. Being treated worse in the press than murderers etc for YEARS is terrifying to watch.