Meghan Markle Dives Into Trademark Drama on Podcast, Shares the Real Reason for 'As Ever' Name Change
Meghan Markle reveals why her lifestyle brand changed its name to As Ever and addresses trademark controversy on her podcast "Confessions of a Female Founder."
Markle tells longtime friend and celebrity colorist Kadi Lee that she'd been wanting to use As Ever since 2022, long before she literally presented her former brand name, American Riviera Orchard, to the world.
"I had secured As Ever as a name in 2022," Markle told her friend, per Page Six. "And then as everything started to evolve last year, and bringing in a partner the size that it was, it was just so interesting."
Her first thought was an umbrella company called American Riviera, with sub-categories underneath it, such as Orchard. She never intended for the branding direction to be what it was.
"When that's not feasible... suddenly it became this word salad," she added. "I didn't love that so much."
Quiet Rebrand, New Direction
Instead of trying to push a brand name that did not feel authentic, the Duchess of Sussex said she went back to something that had personal significance and had already been trademarked.
"I was like, 'OK, let's go back to the thing that I've always loved. Let's use the name that I protected for a reason that had sort of been under wraps,'" she revealed. "And then we were able to focus in the quiet and put our heads down and build on something that no one was sniffing around to even see about."
The pivot needed the quiet period she described.
"It was just really, really helpful to have that quiet period," Markle said. "Which you would know after spending so many years working on something, building it and the pivots that you had to take with it."
Criticism Over Logo Similarity
However, there has been some controversy in the rebrand that has not been shared without consequences. Some labeled the As Ever logo as the same one used in a village in Majorca, causing a backlash against Markle. While she did not directly address the logo backlash in the podcast, the episode centered around transparency, authenticity, and business adaptation.
The podcast is the third episode in Markle's eight-part series with Lemonada Media. The network describes the series as providing lessons on developing "billion-dollar businesses" and managing brand-building with intention.
Markle and her guest also touched upon how businesses can keep community and values at the core. It was a podcast, but what it boiled down to was that it was a reminder that the best things are "thoughtfully crafted," not rushed along by public expectation.
