FCUK was responsible for launching this poster advertisement in Ireland to strengthen its brand image, which eventually received several complaints for being offensive. The poster featured two women in a fighting position along with the companying text, ‘French Connection. Fashion V Style’. The complaints alleged that the advertisement was promoting casual acts of violence and considered the advertisers were being provocative just for the sake of it. Complainants also argued that the advertisement has used a mixture of sex and violence to portray the shock effect of female violence to promote their products.
The advertisers in their defense said that their intention was to highlight a symbolic conflict between style and fashion in an appealing manner and not to cause alarm or incite violence. They further clarified that the concept of the advertisement was derived from a famous Yves Saint Laurent quote ‘Fashion fades. Style is eternal’. The complaint committee of the advertisement watchdog expressed some concerns, but they did not consider that the advertisement was in breach of the Code and consequently did not support the complaints. However, it reminded advertisers that obtaining approval from CAP in the UK did not mean that advertisements are mechanically agreeable even at this platform.
