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Footy-mad tweeters to change Eiffel Tower colours

John Murray

With the 2016 UEFA European Championships getting underway in France this Friday, football loving social media users will this year have an opportunity to change the appearance of one of Europe’s most iconic landmarks.

For the 31 days during which the tournament takes place, wireless company and Euro 2016 sponsor Orange is behind a scheme to analyse which of the 24 teams involved is getting the most social media support each day, and then light up the Eiffel Tower in the colours of that nation’s flag.

Each day, from shortly after midnight until 9:30pm, Orange will monitor activity on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter, which will no doubt be reprising its popular hashflags during the tournament as it did during the 2014 FIFA World Cup. As darkness descends on Paris, each night will see the Tower light up in the colour of the country with the most social media support.

Those behind the idea are confident that they can distinguish ‘support’ from basic social media mentions, meaning that fans of rival countries like Spain and Portugal, Russia and Ukraine, and indeed England and Wales, can enjoy light-hearted social media banter without inadvertently contributing to lighting up the structure in the colours of their enemy. This suggests that spammers hoping to affect the outcome will be out of luck as well.

With the host nation getting the Euros started on Friday, it seems certain that the Parisian landmark will be illuminated in the colours of Le Tricolore at the end of this week, unless there is a surge of support for their underdog opponents, Romania.

English and Welsh football fans hoping to emblazon the St. George’s cross or Red Dragon across the Tower should stay glued to social media this Saturday to have the best opportunity to jump on the trend, as their sides start their tournament against Russia and Slovakia respectively. The Red Hand of Ulster could potentially make an appearance on Sunday as Northern Ireland face Poland, while the June 13th game between the Republic of Ireland and Sweden is perhaps the best chance of a green, white and orange Eiffel Tower.

For fans who enjoy posting and tweeting about the game almost as much as watching it, it will be interesting to see the outcomes, and comforting to know that what they are saying will not just be going into a void, but influencing the look of an attraction visited by seven million people every year.

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John Murray

Content Editor at Engage Web

John studied English with Creative Writing at university and went on to write for newspapers in both West Yorkshire and Chester. A published poet, short story writer and music blogger with a flair for quick pun-delivery, John is a genuine word nerd and a member of a Scrabble club, so it was only natural that he went on to work in a wordy position.

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Footy-mad tweeters to change Eiffel Tower colours