Meet the Michelin man, or rather Bibendum or ‘Bib’, his real name.
Most people will recognize the French tire manufacturer’s big, white mascot, but few will be able to tell Bib’s story – or how he came to be.
The character is based on a pile of tires that founders Andre and Édouard Michelin saw at the 1894 Lyon World Exhibition in France.
“Look, with arms it would become a man,” Édouard told his brother at the time, according to the company.
Thus the Michelin man was born. However, he didn’t always look like the cuddly character we know and love today.
In his original format, Bib looked more like a fat Egyptian mummy, and was often seen holding a martini glass filled with nails and shards of glass – sending the message to drivers that Michelin tires are tough, sturdy and won’t puncture.
Ads from that era included the words ‘Nunc est Bibendum’ – meaning ‘now is the time to drink’.
Over the years, Bib has also been depicted as a gladiator, a kickboxer, a ballroom dancer and a ladies’ man – and almost always had a glass of beer or a cigar in his hand. It was a way of connecting with the upper class, who in those early days were the only ones who could afford to buy a car.
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The Michelin Man – formerly known as Bibendum or ‘Bib’ – originated in 1894 when founders Andre and Édouard Michelin were looking at a stack of tires. “Look, with arms it would become a man,” Édouard said to his brother at the time
In his original format, Bib was often seen holding a glass filled with nails and shards of glass to indicate that Michelin tires were strong, sturdy and would not go flat.
However, as the 1920s rolled in, the cigar and beer were dropped for a more family-friendly image. In this new healthy persona, he started appearing on bicycles and throwing Frisbees.
This is also when the Michelin man started to get his toned physique and exchanged the father’s body for a more muscular figure.
Over the years many have wondered why Bib was made of white-colored tires instead of black, and the simple answer is: tires weren’t black until 1912 – 18 years after it was made.
Before 1912, tires usually had a gray-white or beige color, according to Michelin blogging.
And despite the fact that the Michelin man has a mouth, he actually speaks (although he did have a travel column in the company’s Italian magazine in 1907).
He has also been depicted over the years as a gladiator, a kickboxer, a ballroom dancer, an astronaut, and a ladies’ man.
He also appeared in French comic books, such as Asterix, and even won an Oscar for the film Logorama, a 16-minute short film.
In one ad, he gave away one of his middle tires to help a family with a flat tire
In the early years he almost always had a glass of beer or a cigar in his hand, as a way of connecting with the upper class, who were the only ones who could afford to buy a car.
In a column, Bib raved about the beauties of Renaissance art.
“O you sublime Madonna, fate of Rome, accept my homage, you whose eyes shine with the splendor of the Renaissance,” the mascot gushed in the magazine.
He also appeared in French comic books, including Asterix, and even won an Oscar for the 16-minute short film Logorama.
And in the year 2000, Bib won the best logo ever made, selected by a panel of 22 designers, according to Better marketing.
The Michelin man has become so much a part of pop culture that he even has a London restaurant named after him – Bibendum Restaurant and Oyster Bar, in the Fulham area.
It is based in Michelin House, which served as the company’s London headquarters until 1985 when it moved.