When Consistency Of Voice Attacks!

For many years, the staff of British high street fashion retailer French Connection giggled knowingly at the acronym fcuk used on internal company documents. Then in April 1997, this was seized upon by clever and expensive advertising agencies as a tool for branding their clothing range.

This involved the use of those letters on numerous T shirt slogans which became best sellers and thus walking billboards for the company which was transformed from a non-descript chain to an edgy brand receiving endless press commentary from outraged observers.

The voice was consistent and rammed down our throats and sales boomed, but the products weren't really edgy nor were the outlets. This was mainstream high street fodder and inevitably the joke paled and the fcuk logo was withdrawn in February.

Today, the chairman of the group issued his fourth profit warning in fifteen months.