Meghan’s show IS something new and different.

[AtIusvue]

So we have it wrong. THIS IS an entirely new format for a cookery/lifestyle show. Because it isn’t a cookery/lifestyle show. This is Netflix first foray into the world of informercials and they are doing it in NF style; meaning a big budget and a slight twist.

So With Love, Meghan is a 5hr advert for As ever and Meghan Sussex. But what makes it different; is it has been disguised as a lifestyle show and there’s no direct sales. It’s the soft sell…..very beige and subtle.

So every recipe and story Meghan shares, is designed around an As ever product. Even conversations with friends are designed to either sell Meghan or a product.

For example. In Ep 8, she makes shortbread with edible flowers. A packet mix of shortbread with edible flowers is now on the As ever website. Now on the show, we don’t see her open the box. But what we do see, is her giving a very quick run through of a basic dough recipe and then tell the viewer they can just use shop bought. The majority of the time isn’t spent in the baking, it’s spent on the decorating with edible flowers.
This is by design. All the baked goods she’s shows you on the programme, she says things like ‘I don’t enjoy baking’, ‘I’ve never made doughnuts before’, ‘ I only learned last week to make focaccia’ ‘I don’t like measuring’
So while viewers who are expecting to watch a cookery show, are flummoxed by someone with such little baking skills teaching us- it’s because it’s an advert and she’s selling the idea that the baking part isn’t important. So when the As ever baked goods mixes appear after the advert goes out, people will want to buy. Because they know that even Meghan doesn’t like baking. That it’s ok to skip that part, and focus on the decorating and gifting part.

This is soft selling infomercials. It’s a Netflix/QVC hybrid. She is directly selling you the idea and lifestyle, but softly selling you the products. You find out what these products are, after the show.

More examples-
Ep 1 where she makes an Epsom salt bath mix (As ever TM pending). The honey and ginger tea she shares with her friend Daniel is on the As ever website. Teapots are also intended to be sold. The raspberry jam that she uses in the cake she bakes (which again, is a very basic mix and she runs through quickly- because we know she wants to sell packets of the stuff) is now available in the website. As is the honey she used for the cake syrup.

So Ep 2, where we see Meghan make kids party bags. Included are kids gardening tools (which is under the As ever TM application) a honey stick (TM application ) and plant pots (TM application)

Everything is for sale. When in Ep. 7 Meghan puts shop bought croissants in a basket and decants jam into little ramekins, a quick look at the TM application confirms that these are all items she intends to sell under As ever.

How does the soft sell look?

Take for example the jam on the show. The label isn’t on the jar, so it’s not directly selling the brand, As ever. But it’s the same jar shape and we know that it’s raspberry because the cake is decorated with fresh raspberries on top, indicating the jam used. Or the crepe are served with the jam and fresh raspberry’s. It’s all very subtle. The raspeberry jam product then drops straight after the show.

The stories she shares are designed to sell too. For example; her memory of her gran making apple butter- she has fruit butters under her TM application.

Even conversations with friends are designed to sell not only Meghan (how wonderful she is) but they are designed to introduce products in the As ever line. So in Ep 5 we see Meghan’s friends Kelly and Abby discuss Meghans love of spicy condiments - these are under the As ever TM application. We also see Abby discuss Meghans love of flowers and how she helped her in her floral business. From the TM application, you can see it is As Ever’s intention to sell fresh flowers and plants. It’s also why we are given floral demonstrations with ‘supermarket’ flowers.

Conversations with her friend Vicky too in Ep 7, about how Meghan loves a polished skin look, while making face masks- again, we see As ever intends to sell non medicated skin products from the TM application.

The show is a practical demonstration of how to use her products, but the products are released after the advert. When you cross ref the TM application items with what was seen on screen, you see clearly that everything is designed for a sale. Crockery, candles,baskets, wrapping paper, jam etc.

Another tell that this is an infomercial hybrid, is the fact that they have said more As ever items will be released seasonally. Why? What’s seasonal about honey and ginger tea and crepe mix that it’s to come out in spring? These are store cupboard items, not seasonal products.
What they actually mean is, when a new advert comes out, new products will be introduced and added to the collection.

This is why all the press reviews for the show mean nothing. NF won’t care that’s it’s ridiculed. We have all just watched the advert they wanted us to watch. What they want is for it to translate into sales for As ever. It really doesn’t matter how much critical acclaim the show gets, as it’s just a vehicle for the products.
Additionally, we know from the TM application that As ever wants to enter the podcast world. So her new podcast will be in furtherance to the brand and selling the products. But again, it will be a soft sell, not direct.

So it IS a completely new style of cooking show. It goes beyond product placement but isn’t direct selling. I think meghan and NF think they have been very clever. At some point everyone will figure out these are just adverts and work out that every recipe, conversation and story, is linked to an item that you can buy on the As ever website straight after the show.

She’s not trying to be Martha Stewart, she wants to be the new Kathy Ireland ……Meghan Sussex. That’s why there’s been a name rebrand. It’s trying to copy the Kathys mega brand (huge in the US, unknown here) but direct selling her own products….but in a 2025 Netflix kinda way.

So the purpose of the informercial was to

1- introduce the name Meghan Sussex. That’s why they’ve included the car crash ticking off Mindy got- because at least it got her new brand name in. It’s the new Kathy Ireland.

2- To sell the new Meghan Sussex image. So throughout each episode, her friends fawn over her and tell her how amazing she is at everything- cooking, hosting, flower arrange etc.

3- To soft sell the lifestyle wirh generic, no label products first, then find out what the As ever products are after. I’m sure this is a way to get around not having to list the show as an advertisement. That’s also why the name of the show and her product line are different. So it’s not seen as traditional advertisement.

With her appearance on Drew Barrymore, she’s confirming the new brand name, confirming that she’s this super nice, working mom and that she has products to sell you.

Absolutely shameless and so underhand in my opinion……but it might work.

@glitterturd You old cynic - this is clearly MM trying to spread a little joy with a little joyous thing and the carefully showing As ever label is a mistake not another drip feed reminder of the Products Yet To Come. 😂

Anyway - What I want to know is , - is this a stunt jar ? Otherwise how has she managed to wash it out without ruining the label. Will she be selling stunt labels so that we can affix a new one to the empty jars. Mind you we know what MM thinks of flowers sitting in foetid water and it isn't good.

By the way Glitter - I am with you on celebrity products ( down to Newman's own which has also raised a lot for charity. ) Nothing on my granny though who would turn her Sainsbury plastic bag inside out because she didn't want to give them free advertising.

Yes, I've written on other threads about how Meghan is always reliably about 4-5 years behind the current trend. The Tig was like that and it's even more noticeable now. I don't know whether this reflects a very cautious and risk-averse (almost nervous) nature or an inability to pay for / unwillingness to take heed of really top tier PR and branding advice.

@MonteShitshow the market I'm referring to is very specifically American tbh. Affordable luxury is a thing in the UK too but it tends to focus on different products and the aesthetic is different - here, affordable luxury is about looking a bit Boden without Boden prices. In the US, it's more about looking West Coast on midwest salaries and social sensibilities, which is what Meghan seems to be aiming for.

@glitterturd on the products themselves, I've written before on these threads about why jam is a terrible flagship product: it's not as known in the US (where sweet jam is jelly or preserve and 'jam' is what you might get as a garnish with your pork chop at a posh restaurant), people tend not to eat it every day so it's got poor re-order value (so not like an expensive face cream, where if you can persuade the customer to part with their cash the first time and the product is good, you've probably got them reliably on the hook for the next 3 to 5 years) and it's being launched at the very moment that people on the east and west coasts are quitting sugar en masse.

The underlying tension of making every detail perfect was stressful too. She may have been smiling and over enthusing but it looked no fun.

This.

I still think the entire concept was dated but perhaps a warmer screen presence having fun could have got past that. Wrong vehicle for her entirely.

I also don't understand the selling products lines as to me that should have been up and running from launch of show piggybacking off it in press releases for TV show. Yes there are shows that are run away successes and then products get put out there to buy - but there the focus isn't the product it's the TV show and this show does as AtIusvue say seem to be about selling from the word go.

That and the kerfuffle round the branding doesn't make it look like a professional got it togther brand but also doesn't come across as endearing learning as we go amateur hour - partly as she has Netflick backing and partly the referencing titles and the privilage that goes along with all that.

I think she's just coming across as a bit of an uptight person, maybe it's nerves, maybe because it's not her house and it's a bit unnatural?
She wants to do infomercials? Fine.
However, you do need to make it more appealing than this.

@pursuitOfSomethingagreed, I really can’t fathom the delay.

I mean, I know the trademark issues put the kibosh on ARO, but surely regardless of the name of the brand there was nothing stopping her from working through production and fulfilment plans for the last year - plus the show was delayed by two months from the original planned air date - so why on earth has she got nothing to sell?

It’s really beyond foolish. Even if she had a very limited stock of a few flagship products (jam, honey, dried bloody flowers etc) she should have got them on sale to coincide with the show. They’d likely have sold out almost immediately (particularly if stock was limited to a few hundred jars), giving her the ability to claim it as a PR win - and it would also boost demand and waitlist sign ups for the restock.

Even now she’s too late, as all the buzz and chatter around the show has died down significantly, but it’s only going to get worse the longer she leaves it. She might get another flicker of interest when part 2 airs, but if it’s more of the same then she’ll struggle to come close to the peak of interest she’s had the first time around.

How do you know they aren’t special? As you have pointed out, you can’t buy them.

you sound like you have tried really hard to give an intelligent in-depth analysis of a show / women you are also inplying to dislike. How about you don’t give her any credence and move on?

I hadn’t thought about the label coming off!

The stuff is very Stacey Solomon in Asda. Now, I was tempted and succumbed to the bluebell duvet set for the spare room. It’s very pretty - although wasted on the desert air as the only occupant so far is dh’s hairy old mate 😐 ) but it cost £17 as opposed to $$$$$ for a very similar-looking aesthetic.

A few posts before that she said:

AtIusvue · 06/03/2025 13:26
Some items are up on the website, but as yet you can’t purchase.

So I assume like most readers would that she looked at the website and saw what was up there assumed that was clearly what they were planning to sell and based her comments on that.

Yes it's possible more product lines will be added when they finally decide to sell stuff - at such time I'm sure AtIusvue will like most people when there's more information will revise her opinion.

I don't get the strategy here - from Netflicks or Meghan - they may suprise me and others on here and this may work - but just seems like missed opportunities and poor marketing - so I want to see if they do have a master plan.

I have moved on from the TV show - not for me though did give it a try.

It’s packet pancake mix. The definition of nothing special.

Many Americans don't have yards or balconies so can't leave the tea jar out in the sun to steep.

I buy NY state honey as local honey is supposed to help mitigate allergies to greenery. It's also guaranteed not to have corn syrup added to it since it's from a small apiary. For a splurge, I buy authentic Greek honey, usually from Crete. It tastes amazing.

I don't use mixes but cook from scratch since it's healthier. I would love to know who is making her products. A swanky jar is no use if your jam is mass-produced in China.

I hope when it eventually is on sale that some journalists (or social commentators online) do some digging into the provenance of the produce. Be very interested to see if she puts her money where her mouth is and uses local, ethical producers - or if it’s all just imported mass produced rubbish.

I hope when it eventually is on sale that some journalists (or social commentators online) do some digging into the provenance of the produce.

Why I wouldn't want to work with her TBH because I expect someone will be doing this.

The reflected fame of royal connection and publicity is a benefit - and I'd day that was on decline more tarnished their reputation gets and further from RF they are - but the scrutiny levels haven't let up and a lot of their public pronouncements and behavior have actually increased it.

It’s not even real jam @BemusedAmerican!
have you noticed? It’s labelled raspberry spread, which means it wasn’t allowed to be called jam !

The honey preventing allergies thing is a myth, unfortunately, but supporting local suppliers is always a good thing and the less additives in food the better. I can’t imagine that buying a ready made pancake mix can be healthier than making a pancake from scratch, which is ridiculously easy to do anyway (even if getting them to cook evenly is another story 😆)

It’s labelled raspberry spread, which means it wasn’t allowed to be called jam !

In order to define a product as a jelly, jam or preserve, one rule is that it must contain a certain amount of sugar by weight. If there is less sugar in a fruit spread, that means that it won’t meet the FDA’s definition of “jelly” or “jam.” That’s why Smucker′s Natural Fruit Spreads products have “fruit spread” in the name, because they don′t contain enough sugar by that standard. Other products on the market may not meet the standards of identity requirements for different reasons, such as using a kind of fruit that doesn′t qualify.

https://www.smuckers.com/articles/difference-between-jam-and-jelly#:~:text=If%20there%20is%20less%20sugar,enough%20sugar%20by%20that%20standard.

So it likely means just has less sugar - the problem not the less sugar but what it's been replaced with if anything - which till see ingredients list no-one knows what's been done to it.

Not having products ready TWICE - you couldn't make it up!

@DelectableMeguess what Buck Palace did 3 days ago?

😂brilliant!

@MaturingCheeseball - I'm not saying I'm susceptible , but I just had a squint at the Stacey Solomon ASDA site and I've already got 2 guest towels for the downstairs loo in my basket £10 . Here's what it says - this gingham cotton towel range from the At Home With Stacey Solomon Collection elevates the every day in timeless style. (emphasis mine 😊)

To be honest - and I have no feeling abut Stacey Solomon other than she seems a cheerful soul who doesn't take herself too seriously - there are some quite tasteful and pretty things there and the prices are great. I can absolutely see why you'd buy bedding for the spare room there. I shall be browsing further

There you go - the power of word of mouth advertising . 💐Thank you !

Those are really lovely tea tins. They truly elevate the plants!

Edited for spelling.

It’s PR but in a series form. It’s been done for years, just not on this scale as such.

@BasiliskStare happy to pass on an elevating recommendation 😁

Actually I was on an epic surf last night (excuse being dh away and he had reconfigured the television - grrrr) and I read that a (basic) interiors magazine and Walmart had tweeted (Xd) in support of With Love, Meghan. So, could it be that Netflix are engineering a mass roll-out of the As Ever stuff? And, given that I believe Walmart owns Asda, could there even be a Meghan Sussex range displacing Stacey Solomon?

Walmart used to own Asda but they haven’t since 2021, so hopefully our Stacey is safe 😆

@MaturingCheeseball I'd better get back on the ASDA website in that case and order some more Stacey Solomon items in solidarity. 😊 I ended up with 2 green gingham checked towels and two green ones with a sort of fern design on them ( the latter being smaller so I can artfully layer them over the checked ones - behold my fabulosity ) all for the princely sum of £16 - pure cotton. I think she has pitched it just right. Also - she seems fairly likeable so I don't think anyone is not going to order from her on principle and doesn't have have a logo emblazoned all over things. It does sound like a big rollout might be on the cards - but @BemusedAmerican may know , I am not sure what prices Walmart would stand. Although I think Martha Stewart had (Still has ?) a range in Walmart or is it Kmart - so one of them is obviously up for aspirational things. I'm not familiar enough with big American stores to know.

Anyway I am now toying with some dinky Easter decorations which are as cheap as chips and I am too old to blow eggs & paint them to hang off twigs - which I did once when I was young and in my salad days and had my first proper house. Probably the same year I made the first (and only) Christmas cake myself. - ha ha.

Ooop , cross posted with @smilesy there . Thank you Smilesy I am much relieved.