It is hard to overstate how hot French Connection was in 2004. Its shares were 500p on the stock market, founder and co-owner Stephen Marks was worth over £100 million and its clothes were flying off the shelves. It was all about the logo: FCUK. The company could claim that it stood for French Connection UK, but legions of teenagers thought it was witty, racy and a standout. The company had started in 2000 with small, subtle FCUKs on T-shirts and dresses, but by 2005 they were getting bigger and bolder in response to customer demand.
Then, as if a light switch had been flipped, the joke turned into a tired cliché. In central London, sales of FCUK-logo items faded, and as journalists started mocking the logo and the brand, sales fell away elsewhere. Within 6 months the logo had gone from go-go to no-no. In 2005 the company made a profit of £33.7 million; in 2007 it made £4 million and in 2009 lost £11.8 million. The 500p shares collapsed to 37p by 2007 (and today are 22p).
Your organisation does not have access to this article.
Sign up today to give your students the edge they need to achieve their best grades with subject expertise
Subscribe
