U.K. fashion retailer French Connection has apparently decided that a bit of controversy can go a long way. In the late 1990s, the company caused a stir with its racy, innuendo-laden logo, FCUK, short
for French Connection U.K. For years, the logo graced kids' tee-shirts and shopping bags everywhere, but then its popularity began to fade. Now, to revitalize the brand, the company is introducing a
new advertising effort that also contains a risqué angle that is garnering some degree of attention. A new TV spot pits two scantily clad female models against each other in a wrestling match
over "style" vs. "fashion." At the end of the television spot, the actors embrace and kiss. While the FCUK logo does not appear in the new ads and has been played down in the company's designs, the
models' kiss has drawn complaints from some television viewers in Britain, where the ads started appearing in February. But Stephen Marks, the founder and chairman of French Connection, said the
complaints left him unmoved at a time when lesbian kisses have been featured on prime-time television shows. "I'm not apologizing for anything," he said.
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