As ever, WLM, PR disasters continued

[AtIusvue]

Online, people are pointing out that a very expensive cashmere jumper that Meg wore on suits, also made its way to her wardrobe

It’s been nothing but PR disasters of late.

What I have noticed which is curious - is that the UK tabloids are not running with P6 story about the dress. Just like they avoided talking about the NY car chase. They only reported on the media frenzy. But, we know Harry sent out some sort of memo not to publish photos etc. None of the UK press did. Now Meg has acknowledged the stolen dress story and released an official refute ….and none of the UK press are even reporting on that?

That’s weird. They will literally print any old Meg story to get clicks…..but not this one???

The articles on this issue are mainly American.

My cousin has a chocolate business which is fab. I must ask her about this collaboration,

It looks like Meghan is trying to corner the sprinkles market, I’m surprised she hasn’t told us yet that her childhood nickname/kids nickname is ‘sprinkles’ as they sprinkle joy where ever they go, perhaps they’re still ‘workshopping it’

I didn’t know there was a sprinkles market !?

I guess this falls into the category of buying something because it is launched by a "famous person". It's not fashion though where you have a good idea of what to expect - it's food although I guess you would know there's going to be sprinkles in there if it's As Ever. Again it seems to be sold out and I don't see the point of launching a small amount of stock and that's it. Where's the money in that? Is it all about kudos? To my eyes it's someone spreading themself even thinner than their spread who has no commitment to the product. It's a jack of all trades and master of none.

American cheese could do with being messed with.

40g? About twice the size of a Freddo bar

There's also this " Oprah herself regularly selects Compartés as her favorite chocolate gifts."

Basically they seem like a company which specialises in corporate gifts and custom branding, rather than one which prioritises the origin of the cocoa, fair trade, organic ingredients or the like. The chocolate is probably fine by American standards, but nothing special or unique. "As Ever" orders will likely be handled directly by Compartes so Meghan will have nothing to do with the product other than slapping the 'As Ever' name on the twee packaging.

Peddling random grocery items from white label companies is a strange business idea.

I'm wondering if it's just to keep her name out there, @IcedPurple ?
Just to get the headlines, never mind the content?

To what aim? Maybe as a loss leader to prove to bigger brands with big bucks that she wants a deal with (Dior etc) that she has commercial traction with the general public? Seems a convoluted route.

Yes, it’s like every company branded gift you’ve ever received at a work conference or bride and groom favour at a wedding. Nice packaging, generic crap inside.

She’s in her Entrepreneur/Founder Era. She has no original ideas, though, so churning out white label goods like this chocolate and wickless candles is how she’ll keep going until she gets another gig. She just needs to keep up the pretence that she’s a sell out brand name worthy of a billion dollar buy out. I think the Zoolander Era hasn’t worked out too well so far, but pivoting into cosmetics may be the next step. She’s seen her friend, Jamie Kern Lima, sell her brand to L’Oreal. I’m sure she wants a piece of that pie (with sprinkles on, natch).

Good points, @Indianrollerbird .
I wondered about cosmetics, that and fashion seem to be more of her "thing".

Beecher's makes a good cheddar. Maytag specializes in blue cheese but also makes good cheddar. I send Maytag as a gift. Cabot also is good. I've had wheels of aged Vermont cheddar that are great.

It’s normally connected to Pet Food Supermarkets, notably food that appears attractive to the owners of rabbits and guinea pigs.

Edible rose petals (for eg Lebanese & Persian recipes) are cheap in Arabic shops in cities throughout the US, UK etc. I just bought a decent sized bag for well under two quid.

I just can’t see who’s buying her very expensive pots of dried bits of flowers, apart from a few diehard fans. Where’s the profitability?

“There are decades still to come”

well, that’s a cheerful thought for the season of goodwill. Thanks a bunch.

Speaking of thoughts, if you were four years old and your parent put inspirational thoughts into your advent calendar instead of sweeties or plastic tat, how pissed off would you be?

That coronation invitation artwork always looked like a kid's party invite to me, so I can't help feeling Meghan would have done better to aim for something more upmarket anyway

Blimey, which high fallutin trampoline parks are you taking your kids to???! 😂

DS is way too old for playparks now, @Indianrollerbird, but he honestly did once get an invitation with similar artwork, and it wasn't from a "posh mum" by any means!!

In all honesty it struck me as being a bit OTT even at the time, which is probably why the coronation one triggered the memory ...

This is a real side step, and no power on earth would get me to pay Meghan prices-but am I the only person on here who uses sprinkles quite a lot? Edible and inedible? I made shortbread last week with dried lavender flowers and a bit of edible glitter on it and over Christmas I’ll make Ottolenghi salads and dried rose petals will feature….

Fair enough. If Charles's invitation had had something similar to Captain Farty's Balloon Bubble Party insignia, I may have felt the same 😂 I loved the coronation invitation, though.

Yes, that's exactly what it sounds like.

Bland, generic, inoffensive and nothing you'll ever give a thought to again.

I guess Meghan just commissioned a small number of bars from Compartes. The company will handle all the logistics other than advertising on the 'As Ever' site. Pretty much anyone could do that. Someone said above that you can get a 'bespoke' order with as few as 1000 bars, and I'm guessing she ordered close to the minimum as they're already 'sold out'. Which was probably the plan.

The coronation invitation grew on me somewhat. It really reflected KC3's young adulthood in the flower power seventies as well as his decades long love of gardening & nature and his interest in environmental matters.

But I do hope that future KW5 puts out something a bit less OTT!

I gather this company did a "collaboration" with HBO for White Lotus. It's not exactly an artisan chocolatier.

In the US, sprinkles are made out of colored sugar and sprinkled over ice cream or cake frosting.

Back in the mid 1990's edible flowers became trendy. My brother had a farm share that gave him bags of edible marigolds, pansies, and nasturtium every week, which he hated. He kept trying to regift them but no one wanted to eat them.

Republic of Tea, the company that makes Meghan's tea, does lots of herbal blends. When I saw the flower sprinkles, my first thought was it was a clever way to get rid of failed herbal blends. But I have a suspicious mind.

I use those coloured sugar ones a lot too! I have them in single colours so I can choose combinations. I’m just interested that all kinds of sprinkles seem universally despised on here

In the US, sprinkles are made out of colored sugar and sprinkled over ice cream or cake frosting.

I'm British and to me sprinkles are the same - they are hundreds and thousands or the same thin cylinder but chololate ones. This year British bake off they had them make the hundreds and thousands which was a faff and as bakers says who does that.

I've had garnishes - sometime inedible but not home served - meals or buffets outside home - sometimes they've been flowers.

Have used edible glitter usually on home made birthday cakes - we threw it out before we used it all. Not so sure it screams classy more fun and sparkly.

I don't like rose and lavendar as flavours usually - unless very slight - but had roses petal turn up in cholcoate bars - they don't do much -not so keen on spread being in chololate - gels/soft centers/nougat/freeze dried fruits all fine and normal - jam less so though may depend on what it turned out to be.