Do you know which is the most visited monument in the world? Here's a hint, it's in the "City of Light" also known as the "City of Love," and it celebrates its unveiling today.
Observed annually on this date, Eiffel Tower Day commemorates the completion and unveiling of the iconic structure, which took place on March 31st, 1889. It celebrates the 324-meter (1,063 feet) tall wrought-iron lattice tower that has become a symbol of Paris and French culture.
Construction of the Eiffel Tower took two years, two months, and five days. It was initially built for the 1889 World's Fair during the 100th anniversary of the French Revolution and only intended to last 20 years. In fact, it was initially criticized by many intellectuals of the era who feared that the tallest structure in Paris would leave an unappealing effect on the city. But it was saved by the scientific experiments that principal engineer Gustave Eiffel encouraged. It served as a military radio post in 1903, and transmitted the first public radio program in 1925. According to the Tower's website, "As France's symbol in the world, and the showcase of Paris, today it welcomes almost 7 million visitors a year (around 75 percent of whom are foreigners), making it the most visited monument in the world. In fact, almost 300 million visitors regardless of age or origin have come from all over the planet to see it since its opening in 1889."
Did you know? While Frederic-Auguste Bartholdi designed the Statue of Liberty that was gifted from France to the United States in 1885, the iron framework was engineered by Gustave Eiffel.
And from a marketing perspective, how often does the "Eiffel Tower" or "Paris" or "France" appear in branding? According to Pagai, "Many of us have experienced that inexplicable surge of excitement when we encounter the word "Paris" in a brand name. It's like a Pavlovian response – our expectations elevate, and we anticipate something special...It's evident that numerous brands leverage the cachet of Paris to enhance their credentials while capitalizing on France's esteemed legacy."
LET'S TAKE A LOOK AT 10 BRANDS:
AIR FRANCE: Air France is the main airline of France and merged with KLM to form Air France-KLM in 2003. It operates passenger and cargo services to 201 destinations in 78 countries. The airline's international hub is at Charles de Gaulle Airport (also known as Roissy Airport and located 15-20 miles northeast of central Paris), with Orly Airport as the primary domestic hub (located 8-12 miles south of central Paris). While the airline can trace its origin back to the 1910s, Air France was formed on August 30th, 1933, due to the merger of five existing airlines in France. During World War II, Air France moved its operations to Casablanca, Morocco. On June 26th, 1945, all of France's air transport companies were nationalized; and on December 29th, 1945, a decree of the French Government granted Air France the management of the entire French air transport network. The airline welcomed its first flight attendants in 1946.
PARIS LAS VEGAS: The Paris Las Vegas is a casino hotel on the Las Vegas Strip in Las Vegas, Nevada, that opened on September 1st, 1999. According to Wikipedia, "The property features include a 95,263-square-foot casino, 3,672 hotel rooms, a 1,400-seat theater, and various restaurants. The Paris-themed resort also includes a half scale replica of the Eiffel Tower, rising 540 feet. Replicas of other Paris landmarks are also featured including the Arc de Triomphe, the Louvre, the Paris Opera House, and the Musée d'Orsay.
The resort's half-scale Eiffel Tower replica rises 540 feet with an observation deck at 460 feet, capable of holding up to 96 people. The tower also includes a restaurant, situated 11 stories above ground. The tower's legs measure 27 suare feet at their base, and three of them rest within the casino floor. Upon the resort's opening, the three interior legs contained a sports book, a casino host area, and a bar, respectively. The fourth leg rests outside the resort along the Strip, and initially served as a ticket booth for guests to visit the observation deck.
Project architect Joel Bergman consulted Gustave Eiffel's blueprints for the original Eiffel Tower. His firm created the replica's architectural design, while its structural design came from the Las Vegas-based Martin & Peltyn. It was built by Schuff Steel, based in Phoenix, using 5,000 tons of steel. Although the replica tower was created with welded steel, it also includes faux rivets to match the design of the original. The interior was inspired by the Paris street scene of the 1920s, and includes restaurants and shops located in a recreation of the Rue de la Paix shopping district (in the 2nd arrondissement of Paris). The casino floor also features a replica of the Pont Alexandre III bridge."
Fellow architect Paul Steelman, Bergman's friend and former employee, said, "Bergman is what we consider the originator of the modern-day casino.There's probably no other architect in the world who affected tourism as much as Joel did. He was as much of a legend (to architecture) as Elvis was to music. There's approximately 30 casino sites on the Strip...and Joel designed more than one-third of them."
AMI PARIS: "Established in Paris in 2011, inspired by the city ever since, AMI is a luxury apparel house for men and women. Like Alexandre Mattiussi, its founder and creative director, AMI approaches fashion in a relaxed and authentic way, with stylish and comprehensive wardrobes composed of timeless basics. Capturing its hometown’s unique, effortless elegance, AMI blurs the boundaries between casual and chic. Its values celebrate love and friendship, inclusion and diversity. Alexandre Mattiussi founded AMI at age 30, after formative years in renowned Parisian couture houses, where he perfected his skills and knowledge of men’s tailoring, and learned the excellence of French sartorial savoir-faire, now a distinctive feature of AMI. His multi-faceted inspiration stems from the world around him, the arts, Paris, and the diversity and style of its inhabitants, as well as from his lifelong passion for ballet and cinema."
EMILY IN PARIS: "Emily in Paris" is an American romantic comedy drama television series created by Darren Star for Netflix. According to Wikipedia, "The series stars Lily Collins as aspiring marketing executive Emily Cooper, an American who moves to Paris to provide an American point of view to a French marketing firm. In Paris, she tries to overcome challenges in her work, love life, and friendships. Filming takes place in Paris and its suburbs. "Emily in Paris" premiered on October 2nd, 2020, to mixed reviews in the United States and criticism in France for negatively stereotyping Parisians and the French. However, in January 2026, the series was renewed for a sixth season."
PARIS BAGUETTE: Paris Baguette or Paris Croissant, is a South Korean multinational chain of bakery-cafes, owned by the SPC Group and headquartered in Seoul. Locations have expanded to the United States, United Kingdom, France, China, Malaysia, Vietnam, Indonesia, and Mongolia. The U.S. Paris Baguette franchises concentrate on selling cakes, pastries, and croissants.
EIFFEL TOWER CHOCOLATES: "Established in 1976, Eiffel Tower Chocolates is an Australian-owned company located near Melbourne, and sells its high-quality goods and products direct to the public from its Tullamarine premises. Since its inception, the family business has satisfied the traditional customs of the old country, Italy, for the many festivities celebrated on a regular basis, including christenings, communions, confirmations, birthdays, engagements, and weddings."
DAMMANN FRERES TOUR EIFFEL COLLECTION: Dammann Frères crafted two blends of tea inspired by the Eiffel Tower and its gardens for an exclusive and gourmet collection:
(1) "La Tour Eiffel" is a black tea with flowery notes of vanilla, almond, and rose, as a tribute to the savoir-faire of Parisian pastry chefs and perfumers.
(2) "Jardin du Trocadéro" is a green, fruity tea with delicious hints of rhubarb, strawberry, and wild strawberry, evoking teatime at the Tower overlooking a dreamlike Paris.
HERMES PARIS: "Since 1837, Hermès has remained faithful to its artisanal model and human values. The freedom to create, the constant quest for beautiful materials, the transmission of exceptional know-how, right down to details designed with use in mind – or the aesthetics of function – all forge the uniqueness of the house, creator of objects designed to last. An independent, family-owned company that encompasses sixteen métiers, Hermès is committed to retaining the majority of its production in France through its 60 production and training sites, while developing its network of almost 300 stores in 45 countries. The group employs nearly 26,000 people around the world, including 14,300 in France, of which more than 7,300 are craftsmen and women. Since 2013, Hermès has been led by Axel Dumas, a sixth-generation family member."
LANCOME PARIS: "Lancome Paris was founded in 1935 as a fragrance house by Guillaume d'Ornano and his business partner Armand Petitjean in France. The name "Lancome" was inspired by the forest of Lancosme in the region of Brenne, which lies in the Indre valley in the heart of France. The name was chosen by Guillaume's wife Elisabeth d'Ornano. The roses in the area inspired the company's brand symbol of the single golden rose. Lancome launched its first five fragrances in 1935 at the World's Fair in Brussels: Tendre Nuit, Bocages, Conquete, Kypre, and Tropiques. Petitjean entered into the skincare market, launching Nutrix, his first "all-purpose repair cream" in 1936, followed by make-up, cosmetics, and skincare products. Lancome was acquired by L'Oréal in 1964, and became part of its luxury products division...Despite founder Armand Petijean's assertion that Lancome should never advertise, today Lancome is one of the top advertisers in the beauty industry, and its ads can be seen in publications worldwide. One of Lancome's longest-running partnerships was with actress Isabella Rossellini, who was the international face of Lancome for 14 years. In 2016, Rossellini returned for a collaboration, more than 30 years after she became its first face."
KARL LAGERFELD PARIS: "The house of KARL LAGERFELD PARIS shares the iconic vision and design aesthetic of its founder, Karl Lagerfeld, fused with a contemporary, forward-looking spirit. As one of the world's most prominent fashion designers, Karl Lagerfeld was renowned for his creative and visionary designs. KARL LAGERFELD PARIS creates collections that blend beautifully tailored French classics with a signature Parisian rock-chic attitude across ready-to-wear accessories, shoes. and handbags."
SHARE THIS: Paris is always a good idea. ~Audrey Hepburn #EiffelTowerDay #BrandStorytelling #BrandExperience #DebbieLaskeysBlog
SHARE THIS: Architecture should speak of its time and place, but yearn for timelessness. ~Frank Gehry #EiffelTowerDay #BrandStorytelling #DebbieLaskeysBlog
SHARE THIS: People come to Las Vegas to be entertained, not educated. They don't want to look at buildings like they're museum pieces. ~Joel Bergman #EiffelTowerDay #BrandStorytelling #DebbieLaskeysBlog
And do you remember this insensitive advertising from January of 2025? According to EuroNews, "Pakistan's national airline has said that an ad campaign showing a plane heading toward the Eiffel Tower was never intended to evoke the memories of the 9/11 terrorist attacks in New York. The illustration shows a plane superimposed over the French flag and tilted toward the Paris landmark, with the words "Paris, we're coming today." The ad was posted on X by Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) on January 10th, the day the company resumed flights to European Union countries after a four-year ban by the bloc's aviation safety agency. PIA spokesperson Abdullah Hafeez said, "We want to make it clear that we had no intention to hurt the feelings of anyone. The Eiffel Tower was shown in the ad because it's one of the best places in the world.""
So, will you be eating a croissant, reading a book about France, visiting the Paris Las Vegas hotel, or taking a nonstop flight on Air France today? Whatever you do to celebrate the Eiffel Tower, Vive la France!
Image Credits: Pinterest, "Champagne and Strawberries" by Liudmila Kondakova/Martin Lawrence Gallery (2018), and Pinterest.
Read more about the Eiffel Tower:
https://www.parisinsidersguide.com/history-of-the-eiffel-tower-2.html
and
https://www.toureiffel.paris/en/the-monument
and
https://www.toureiffel.paris/en/the-monument/lights
and
https://www.toureiffel.paris/en/rates-opening-times
Read an interview with Paris Las Vegas architect Joel Bergman:
https://lasvegassun.com/news/2008/oct/08/joel-bergman/
Check out this special Eiffel Tower tea:
https://www.toureiffel.paris/en/news/visit/its-teatime-eiffel-tower
and
https://shop.toureiffel.paris/en/brand/11-dammann-freres
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