The Michelin Man

A worldwide symbol
The Michelin Man is the symbol of the MICHELIN brand and has been its standard bearer all over the world since 1898. Because of his longevity, visibility among his different audiences and the values that he has stood for from the beginning, he has been voted Best Logo symbol of all time.

The Michelin Man is called "Bibendum", a word taken from the slogan "Nunc est bibendum" (Now is the time to drink - in this case drink obstacles) appearing on one of the earliest posters depicting the figure. In other contries than France, he is known as "The Michelin Man" to stress the connection between the character and the MICHELIN brand.

Birth certificate
In 1894, the two founding brothers, André and Edouard Michelin, were visiting the Universal Exhibition in Lyon when they noticed a pile of tires on one stand. The overall effect was sufficiently evocative for Edouard to think that, with arms, "it would make a man".

Some time afterwards, André singled out a sketch among drawings by the artist O'Galop. They adapted it to make a figure made of tires... and the character was born. The first posters appeared in 1898.

Find out the Michelin Man history