Catfight and lesbian kiss are a flop for French Connection

13 April 2012

French Connection's decision to drop its infamous fcuk slogan for an advertising campaign featuring a lesbian kiss has proved a disaster, with the company today announcing its first loss in 14 years.

The £2 million TV campaign, directed by David Bowie's son Duncan Jones, attracted floods of complaints and did little to get shoppers into French Connection stores.

They were baffled by the "Fashion versus Style" theme which saw two models first fighting, then kissing and finally headbutting. At the same time the group, run by millionaire founder Stephen Marks, was battered at either end of the market by lowcost stores such as Primark and Matalan and the revival in womenswear at Marks & Spencer.

Mr Marks said: "The challenges we faced during the last financial year have continued to impact trading in the new year."

In the last six months, sales dropped from £118million to £111million while the group swung from profits of £5.1 million to losses of £3.6 million.

Fashion commentators said the firm lost its way more than a year ago when it dropped its fcuk trademark. City analysts also criticised Mr Marks for sticking with a more expensive pricing structure for basic garments at a time when consumers were switching to low-price brands.

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