French Connection, the fashion retailer, is scaling back the use of its controversial Fcuk slogan after a slump in sales.

The acronym for French Connection United Kingdom has been splashed across the company’s clothing and advertising campaigns since its creation in 1997.

But with sales down 10 per cent in the first half of 2005, the company has decided that the brand has tired and will be taken off its clothing and billboards.

"Use of the Fcuk logo has been toned down and will be used in a much more subtle way," Lorna Perrin, a spokesman for the company, said. "Branding on the recent autumn/winter collection has been significantly reduced and used in a softer manner.

"But Fcuk is interchangeable with French Connection as the company’s name and so will continue to be used. Logos are no longer prevalent in fashion collections and this is a response to the fact that our customers want something different."

The slogan was an instant hit when it was introduced in 1997, helping sales and profits climb, while cementing the reputation of Trevor Beattie, the boss of TBWA Advertising, who thought up the logo.

Slogans such as "Fcuk Fashion" seemed edgy and daring and lent the brand a cool appeal.

But industry analysts said the company hung on to the logo for too long, making it unfashionable and even tacky. Some have likened the problem with the Fcuk brand to the difficulties Burberry have faced trying to shake off the "Chav" moniker associated with its check clothing and accessories.

Mary Kenny, the Irish writer and social commentator, today welcomed French Connection’s decision.

In an article for The Times, she said: "It is cheering news that French Connection is abandoning its notorious brand... as a slogan it lowered the tone of public communication.

"It was a weary reminder of the mixture of verbal aggression and inarticulate communication that marks much of what we would call street life, or life on public transport."

The Advertising Standards Authority censured French Connection six times over the slogan’s use.

French Connection operates around the world, has 74 stores, 30 concessions and 29 franchises across the UK and Europe. The company issued a profit warning in July saying it would struggle to earn more than £20 million this year.

The dropping of the logo, though, does not mean it could not be revived at a later date. Today, Guinness reintroduced its "Good things come to those that wait" slogan.

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