French retailers and designer brands are striking back in support of
Paris with a new campaign #ParisWeLoveYou to help bolster the city’s appeal
following the November terrorist attacks.
More than fifty French companies, including Galeries Lafayette, Kering,
L’Oréal, Clarins, and Vente-Privée, have united to invite French locals and
international visitors to share their favourite bits about Paris on social
media using the hashtag #ParisWeLoveYou to support the French capital.
The initiative has been launched by the Alliance 46.2 association, which
represents major French tourism companies, and aims to be a “solidarity
campaign” with the city, as well as help boost visitors, as Paris airports
have recorded 123,000 fewer passengers from the second half of November
following the attacks, compared to the same period in 2014.
The campaign is asking for people to stand by Paris by adding their
profile picture to the dedicated ParisWeLoveYou.fr website, which will be
used to build a giant hashtag covered by a mosaic of photos that will be
featured on giant structures in the French capital in early January.
In addition to sharing supporters favourite moments and pictures of the
Paris from social media, the website is also tracking the number of
mentions for the #ParisWeLoveYou hashtag and currently it sits at just over
7,000.
“We have all been traumatised by the attacks,” said Philippe Houzé,
executive chairman of Galeries Lafayette Group at the press launch in
Paris. “And we wanted simply to say that Paris is still great.”
Houzé added: “Companies are not doing this to make up the losses but to
save the image of Paris, because if nothing is done it will be too late.”
Image: Paris We Love You website