Michelin Man Gets a Makeover

Even those who do not own a tire or have nothing to do with the automotive industry are familiar with rotund, jolly Michelin Man. Fondly known as Bibendum, he imparts a sense of bonhomie and familiarity to the well known tire brand. The Michelin Man is seen as avuncular, sporty, dynamic and essentially as the brand’s ambassador when it comes to explaining things to customers.

In 2000, the Michelin logo won the Best Logo of the century award from an international panel of judges. Bibendum was first created by the French illustrator, O’Galop in 1898 and has gone through many changes over the years in the 100 plus years that he has been around. He was initially conceptualized as a man made of a pile of tires with a cup having nails and broken glass in his hand. In his time he has been a knight, a giant, and even a Bedouin. In recent use, the logo has become more standardized as no more outside artists have been used. Nevertheless, there have been country-specific variants. Recently, Michelin just debuted the latest version of the Michelin Man, which is more lovable than ever.

In this version, he is sitting comfortably on two truck tires. The new version of the Michelin mascot is available in two sizes (19 cm and 43 cm) and will eventually be available for sale in retail outlets including service stations. It will come with a self-adhesive plinth for use in offices, homes and will be a proud addition to the collections of those who collect Michelin items.