As Ever

[Chuchoter]

Meghan has renamed her luxury lifestyle brand 'As Ever'.

'As Ever essentially means as it's always been, and if you've followed me since 2014 with The Tig, you know I've always loved cooking and crafting and gardening — this is what I do,' she said. '

Ok, so no answer to what she could do to meet your definition of a philanthropist, because that’s dragging it off topic.

Understood.

There will be two stores in Dallas and Pennsylvania.

You do realise that it's not filmed at her house, don't you?

We do have some details. We have been told she'll be selling jam and honey in the Netflix stores in Philadelphia and Texas. What's your view on this? Do you think her going into this commercial set up indicates that what will be for sale are her authentic, hand-made products or her own recipes? For example, she's selling honey. Unlike jam (which can, I assume, be mass produced by a third party, but at least to her recipe), there isn't really a recipe for honey, is there. It just is what it is, maybe flavoured depending on where the bees collect their pollen. So she'll be slapping her name onto some generic honey that she's not responsible for, and asking people to buy it? Will the average woman/mother be bothered about spending $20 on a jar of generic honey because MM's name is on it? Remember, she needs to get massive numbers of sales from the general public to make this profitable, not just sales to her friends.

It's a terrible brand name. It's not even 'As Ever, Meghan'. It sounds like something you'd associate more with overpriced, overpackaged little soaps or bath bombs rather than homeware. And we can already see how easily it elides into 'whatever'. 'With Love, Meghan' is naff but at least it is associated with the show. Didn't she say she'd got this trademark a few years ago? Was it just superimposed onto this brand to coincide with the launch of the show?

I've seen nothing about the Invictus games, ie the athletes competing. When it was in London then, I think, Orlando there was lots of coverage of the people who really matter, with the lack of coverage of these last couple of events there must be a chance that people will stop bothering.

www.axios.com/2024/06/18/netflix-to-launch-mega-experience-stores-in-two-us-malls

So the image Meghan is promoting for ‘As ever’ ……is of a woman in the kitchen, happy in her role as trad wife, in order to sell you products.

Yet she tells us as a feminist, she called out Proctor and Gamble for selling their products…..using the image of a woman in the kitchen.

She can’t even see the insanity of her actions.

Sorry-genuine question here.

Are they all still existing as separate entities or is As Ever the new umbrella term for all?

Because it feels confusing and is watering down the impact of any of it.
And that no one is sure of her brand or anything anymore?

And she’s launching without a TM….again

I wonder if she has some kind of vision that it could be another Newmans Own, forgetting that Paul N was permafamous, generally well thought of and crucially, it was all for charity from the start.

Yes. Of course I know the house is not hers. The house is stunning was a statement.

I don’t live near a store, so I will not get to taste any jam / honey until or unless it goes global. Anyway, I’m not a big jam eater, and I tend to buy any old honey for the reason you mentioned. So I’m not really in her target audience.

To pre-empt your next question, I suspect her target audience is people who like fancy Jam and branded honey.

The problem is though , she's just not consistent is she?
She jumps from one bandwagon to another, starts new things but doesn't follow through, launches new "products " without said " product " .
And claims phrases without research or proper patents!

As Ever.

It sounds like an Avon own brand perfume. Or maybe Superdrug. One of the dupes that ends up on a market stall.

Atlusvue

Yet she tells us as a feminist, she called out Proctor and Gamble for selling their products…..using the image of a woman in the kitchen.

Maybe it's just a woman doing the washing up she objects to?
Perhaps Harry does that.
Or possibly another, poorer woman 🤔

I mean Archewell doesn't really do anything does it? The last time it hosted that dinner for Afghan women I pointed to the scant information on the website about it: https://archewell.org/program/the-welcome-project/
There is no actual reference to the project, what it does, how Archewell funds it, it's goals. Apparently there are 11 such projects. The same with the Parents' Network which had two events with the same group of events and then hasn't done much.

This was the press coverage of the event which I assume was PR from the Office of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex. I learned a lot about Meghan Markle and not very much about the actual project: https://www.townandcountrymag.com/society/tradition/a62987538/meghan-markle-welcome-project-november-2024-dinner-photos/
Then if you keep googling this project you just find references to the Meghan Markle dinner and a tiny reference that actually this is a 'tie up' with Mina's List that does the main work.
But does Archewell link to Mina's List? Nope.

I am sure this 'As Ever' will be great, but please let's drop the philanthropy schtick. Archewell piggy backs on projects to promote her, and never promotes the projects or organisations themselves even on their website.

Obviously Meghan has realised people will say "what's happened to ARO " so she has explained that away in her girly way. Oh my mind was just so big I wanted to do so much...someone has said " this is going to look a bit dickish so address it. We will make it a positive thing - you have so much more to give---- sell. "

She is interesting to watch as she gets it so wrong, so consistently. The breathless ingenue look is awful.

The RF were right to just ignore them and give them enough rope to hang themselves.

Looking forward to the South Park episode!

Rise above @IcedPurple , poking is poking.

Oh yes - it's the equivalent of poor Britney's smellies.

I think it would get used often!
👍

I have no desire to be dragged off topic either, but their "philanthropy" is under scrutiny. They received $6m in 2022 from a fund (Fidelity) that is currently under investigation because of their USAID connection. That $6m has still not shown up in the Archewell returns. Their biggest gift in the previous tax year was a mere $250k to, out of all the worthy, small, grass roots causes to give to, Ashley Biden's trust, which must already be well funded due to her considerable connections.

My point is that they have done little of note to support their self identification as "philanthropists". They also identify as humanitarians, but have done little of note in this field also, other than some disaster tourism. They have done little to nothing to support their self identification as environmentalists, from their huge house for a small family to their constantly taking private jets to now selling mass produced tat in Netflix stores. Now Meghan is trying to sell her authenticity as some sort of wizard home-maker/earth mom to a public that is wary of their previous failures to deliver anything authentic..

To pre-empt your next question, I suspect her target audience is people who like fancy Jam and branded honey.

Those people have lots of products to choose from however. And they don't have to go further than their local high street to buy them.

If you're into 'fancy jam' why would you buy from someone with no background in food production, when you could buy any number of 'fancy jams' from reputable suppliers with a long track record? Are people supposed to buy overpriced 'fancy jam' from her just because she married a prince?

Genuine question - would anyone even know Meghan was mixed race if they weren't told? I wouldn't. A lot of people are confused by the racism accusations because they don't even realise she's meant to be a different race to start with. Her big difference is being American.

Selling jam seems a waste of whatever talents and interests she may have had. I can't imagine it's ever going to bring in significant money. Oh well.

“ And here is something Meghan made earlier ….”

Photo being reviewed