French businesses support #ParisWeLoveYou campaign

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