Ami Paris turns 15 and just wants you to know it appreciates you

Fifteen years ago, somebody had to be first. The first to buy the jacket nobody else had yet, or the first to tell their mates about a brand whose name simply means “friend” in French. Ami Paris hasn’t forgotten that, and it’s built its 15th anniversary campaign entirely around saying so.

Anyone who grew up on Golden Girls reruns will clock their message of “Thank You for Being a Friend” immediately. Since launching on 21 May, it’s been plastered across monuments, metro stations and billboards in five cities at once, Paris, London, Shanghai, Tokyo and Bangkok, all receiving the love.

Founder Alexandre Mattiussi means it as more than a marketing line. Ami is his own initials, and he’s called this campaign more of an overdue thank you note, one he says belongs to anyone who’s ever actually understood what friendship means, not just the people who buy the clothes.

There’s also a cap and t-shirt embroidered with the line, made to be worn like a badge of honour. Pop-up photo booths appeared in cities from Paris to LA under the tagline “Aren’t We All Friends?”, letting people passing by snap photos with whoever they were with. Ami also held a dedicated Gratitude Day, sending flowers and hosting lunches for people close to the brand, which was a small, deliberate way of saying thank you to the people who’ve been there to support them.