DIARY: Rant

Fcuk, a Vodka-based spirit, arrived in Asia with two funky flavours - lemon and cranberry and grapefruit - and for those of us in advertising this can only mean good news.

The company's controversial advertising has shocked consumers in the UK and Europe, yet its brand has also appealed to the hip and irreverent with its Fcuk logo. This is now featured on the new drinks' bottles in classic French Connection style.

It's true that nothing stands out like shock, but French Connection must also be applauded for going beyond that. It has managed to cleverly use shock tactics to build up the brand through its fcuk campaign, and in the process, it has earned the loyalty of young consumers around the world.

So the question is not whether Asia is ready for fcuk-style bold executions, but whether we in the advertising industry can keep up.

When it comes to daring work, few are willing to try, preferring to stay on the straight and narrow. In Hong Kong you have two extremes, from the brash work for Sunday to the tedious MTR ads. Admittedly, the case of dull minds producing dull work is more apparent in some agencies. I think we all know which ones.

But perhaps the arrival of fcuk advertising will give the industry a standard to measure our work against. I don't know. I just hope it will ultimately give more of us courage to take that gamble.

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