French Connection targets premium customers with latest ad campaign

French Connection was made famous by the FCUK slogan, which remains its most successful treatment ever. The retailer’s last big offensive was its Fashion vs Style campaign in 2006.

French Connection is thought to have spent more than £1m on the new campaign, which is designed to give the brand a more premium slant.

The campaign, using the strap “For Man. For Woman”, targets an older, more sophisticated consumer with equal emphasis put on menswear and womenswear as the retailer attempts to boost menswear sales and tap into a new, premium customer.

French Connection chief executive Stephen Marks said: “We believe we have created an impactful and intelligent campaign.

“The campaign creative enables us to speak to our male and female customers in a clever and effective way, while reaffirming our premium status on the high street. This is set to be a very important season for French Connection.”

The in-store campaign will be supported by 60-second TV ads, the first of which aired this week, a series of 20-second viral online films, and a print and an outdoor ad campaign will also appear.

A source close to the launch said: “Whether you loved it or hated it, FCUK spoke to a generation. This campaign pushes [the boundaries of] the way the brand communicates with the customer. FCUK slapped you in the face, this is more subtle.”