In a move that screams pure panic and admission of defeat, Meghan Markle has reportedly pulled the ultimate PR stunt: stepping aside from her own struggling lifestyle brand and letting a pretty, much younger New York influencer who bears a noticeable resemblance to her do the heavy lifting instead.
The Duchess of Sussex’s As Ever Instagram account recently shared a slick video of lifestyle creator Olivia McDowell delivering “3 summer hosting tips.” The footage shows McDowell casually preparing sprig cucumber sandwiches, slathering runny As Ever jam on a croissant, sipping As Ever tea, and even lighting one of the brand’s candles. No Meghan in sight. No signature strained smile. No awkward hosting persona. Just a fresh-faced, relatable young woman making the products look effortlessly chic.
Critics aren’t buying the coincidence. Many see it as a calculated attempt to distance the brand from Meghan’s increasingly toxic personal brand while still cashing in on the faint association. After years of negative headlines, public fatigue, and dismal sales traction, it appears “Megsy” has decided the best way to sell her overpriced spreads, teas, and candles is to let someone else — someone who looks a bit like her but without the baggage — take center stage.
This isn’t the first time the Montecito operation has faced accusations of smoke-and-mirrors marketing. As Ever (the rebranded American Riviera Orchard) has struggled since launch with complaints about sky-high prices, questionable quality, and lack of genuine demand. Independent taste tests have described the jam as overly acidic, the cookies as “janky,” and the overall vibe as trying too hard. Website traffic reportedly plunged, forcing the team to pivot hard.
Enter Olivia McDowell — a NYC-based content creator with hundreds of thousands of followers who specializes in intentional hosting, beautiful tablescapes, and curated experiences. In the video, she comes across as polished, warm, and genuinely enthusiastic. She even got the full candle treatment with a visible wick — something fans joked Meghan rarely showcases properly. Social media erupted with side-by-side comparisons noting McDowell looks younger, fresher, and far more approachable. Some comments were brutal: “Huge upgrade,” “She has what Meghan will never have — fresh pretty youth,” and “Why would anyone buy from the real one when this version is better?”
The Lookalike Strategy Backfires Spectacularly
The resemblance angle has not gone unnoticed. Observers point out that McDowell’s dark hair, similar facial structure, and overall aesthetic create an eerie echo of Meghan — enough to subconsciously remind viewers of the Duchess without actually showing her. It’s a classic PR sleight of hand: remove the polarizing figure causing the negative attention, but keep the visual association alive so the brand still feels “royal-adjacent.”
But the gamble appears to be failing in real time. Instead of generating buzz for the products, the move has ignited fresh mockery. Royal watchers and online critics are calling it an “own goal” and “new low.” Many argue it proves the core problem: Meghan’s personal unpopularity is so toxic that even her own branded goods can’t be sold with her face attached. By outsourcing the promotion to a lookalike proxy, she may have inadvertently highlighted just how damaged the brand’s association with her has become.
As Ever’s Ongoing Identity Crisis
The timing is particularly awkward. As Ever has already been through multiple identity shifts, packaging tweaks, and pricing controversies. Earlier attempts to position Meghan as the glamorous host-in-chief often fell flat, with videos criticized for feeling staged, elitist, or simply out of touch. Now, by featuring someone else entirely, the brand risks losing whatever thin thread of authenticity it had left.
Industry observers note this is influencer marketing 101 when your founder has become a liability — but it rarely works when the founder’s baggage is this heavy. The products themselves (raspberry spread, honey, herbal teas, candles, baking mixes) are being positioned as “elevated everyday luxury,” yet the public seems unconvinced. High price tags combined with the Sussexes’ well-documented history of PR stunts, family rifts, and perceived grifting have created a trust deficit that no amount of pretty influencer content can fully paper over.
Public Reaction: From Eye-Rolls to Outright Mockery
Across platforms, the response has been swift and savage. Some users called it “sad and obvious,” while others joked that McDowell should just take over the entire operation because she’s clearly better at it. A few pointed out the irony: the woman who once accused the royal family and media of erasing her is now seemingly erasing herself from her own brand’s promotions.
Others noted the apartment setting in the video looked “sad and lonely” compared to the aspirational Montecito lifestyle Meghan usually tries to project. The contrast between the polished influencer and the brand’s troubled reputation only amplified the perception of desperation.
Why This Stunt Was Always Doomed to Fail
At its heart, As Ever’s problem isn’t the products — it’s the person behind them. Meghan Markle’s brand equity is deeply entangled with years of controversy, accusations of hypocrisy, and a public that has grown weary of the constant narrative management. Hiring a younger, prettier proxy might generate a few short-term clicks and shares, but it doesn’t fix the fundamental issue: people don’t trust or particularly like the face (and story) attached to the label.
This latest chapter only reinforces what many have suspected for months — the Sussex brand machine is running on fumes, cycling through increasingly transparent tactics in a bid to stay relevant. From disaster tourism photo ops to questionable family narratives to now quietly outsourcing product promotion, the pattern of smoke and mirrors continues.
Whether this influencer pivot will move any actual jars of jam or boxes of tea remains to be seen. Early signs suggest it has mostly succeeded in generating more eye-rolls and memes than sales. In the brutal world of lifestyle branding, sometimes the most expensive ingredient you can’t fake is genuine likability — and right now, that appears to be the one thing As Ever is fresh out of.
