Levin Learn: The History of the Michelin Man

Most of us would immediately recognize the Michelin Man — I mean, who else looks like a friendly guy made out of marshmallows?

As a quintessential cultural symbol, his positive attitude and sporty demeanor are part of why Michelin is now one of the most trusted tire brands in the world. But he wasn’t born with a silver spoon – it took time and several adaptations for him to become as famous as he is today.

The Michelin Man first made an appearance in 1894, at the Lyons Universal Exhibition. The Michelin brothers, Edouard and André, whose business it was to look at tires all day, suddenly realized that when stacked, they looked kinda like a man.

The Michelin brothers had French cartoonist O’Galop create the initial rendering of the Michelin Man, featuring the tire man holding a cup with shards of glass in it – representing road hazards. The creators named him Bibendum, Latin for “now is the time to drink” in order to convey the message that Michelin tires are so good they ‘drink’ any potential road hazards. Though that name fell out of fashion over the years, the Michelin Man character only grew in popularity and has been the biggest figure in tire advertising ever since.

Here are some fun facts about the Michelin Man to share with your auto-enthusiast friends:

• Through the years the Michelin Man has been depicted as a kickboxer, a gladiator, a ballroom dancer, and a cigar-smoking, opera-glass-wearing socialite.
• In 2000, the Michelin Man was voted the greatest logo in history by an international jury of 22 designers, advertising executives, and branding gurus.
• The Michelin Man wrote a column in an Italian travel magazine, sharing witty details about attending balls, flirting with ladies and living the high life.
• The Michelin Man’s been working out! While his head has grown a bit, through the 20th and 21st century he’s been sporting a much tighter, toned physique than in his original renderings.
• The Michelin Man mascot costume, of which the company has over 100, is sewn together from 477 pieces and costs $2,000.