Those who remember the Nineties will recall French Connection’s arresting FCUK branding tapping into the logo-laden zeitgeist. Simple T-shirts emblazoned with the controversial slogan, and what seemed like a million permutations of it, were perfect for teaming with combat pants and a girl-power pout or parkas and scowls depending on which side of the gender divide you fell. But as fashion changed from combative and exuberant to something more staid and safe, the brand was left behind. Its slow reaction meant it was too late to reposition itself and it’s been struggling ever since, most recently revealing that it will be turning the sign to closed on 14 of its UK shops.
The company was founded by Wayne Marks in 1982, and went public in 1983 with a share price of 123p. Initial success was followed by a period of decline as the brand began to lose market share to Zara, Topshop and ASOS. In a bid to maintain market share and crack the American market, the brand launched a series of 'fcuk fashion' advertising campaigns including the iconic Wonderbra campaign which saw Eva Herzigova model bust-enhancing bras projected onto Battersea power station.
These campaigns did little to improve the The french connection fact or fiction company’s fortunes and in 1992, the firm declared pre-tax losses of PS5m. Since then the brand has fought hard to stay relevant, with campaigns based on a variety of concepts such as ‘I am...’ and ‘The collection is....’ But these do not appear to have had much impact and last week, it was announced that the company would be cutting its loss-making stores.
If it seems as though this is a bit of an overreaction, then the fact that the brand was already losing its market share before this announcement may help explain it. The brand has always struggled to establish a reputation beyond that of being a designer of clothes and it is difficult to establish loyalty when sales are based on fads or slogans.
Although The French Connection does achieve one effect through its sloppy plotting (such as when the drug dealer leaves his Lincoln Continental abandoned on the street so it can be easily spotted by the narcotics squad) the film succeeds where other similar crime thrillers fail in creating a feeling of dread and tension. The expert pacing and ominous music helps to build the suspense, with every gunshot, pistol whipping, beating and sniping ratcheting up the sense of impending doom. The French Connection is a good example of how to create a thriller with a minimum of blood and gore and, with its expert use of spooky music, it’s also an excellent example of how to make that doom feel as real as possible.
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