French Connection: From Sketch to Store

Fresh-faced model Harvey Newton Haydon leads the latest French Connection campaign with some full-frontal marketing tactics. Conceived by fashion photographer Rankin, the From Sketch to Store advertorial shows Haydon stripped down to his birthday suit alongside fellow naked models Milou Sluis and Georgia Frost. The models’ clothes and accessories are then sketched on in real time by illustrator Jo Bird.

French Connection has a reputation for innovative high-street advertising and this is their first black and white campaign. The AW13 video and shoot is the brainchild of Rankin’s creative agency, The Full Service, and was written by Vicky Lewis with art direction by Callum Crease. The final result is both edgy and playful, with Rankin even tweeting this week that “a LOT of shading” was needed on Harvey. Cheeky!

Speaking of the finished campaign at its launch, French Connection marketing director Jennifer Roebuck remarked that it “brings out the fearless nature of the brand and our design credibility but with a twist. When you look back at the iconic FCUK campaigns you can also see the fearless attitude and that is part of the brand and our design philosophy.”

With the emphasis on fearlessness, we wonder if the brand is hoping to stir up some controversy in the industry as part of their marketing agenda. With a flavour of the old FCUK spirit and some fresh new season attitude, this is a campaign which is bound to turn heads.

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French Connection: From Sketch to Store

From Sketch to Store: Video

From Sketch to Store Campaign Shots