Bibendum - SpeedyLook encyclopedia

Bibendum is the brand image of the French manufacture of the tires Michelin.

A direction of the Publicity

1893, the slogan of manufacture is: “The Michelin tire drinks the obstacle! ”

The idea

In 1894, the Michelin stand is installed with the World Fair and colonial of Lyon. A pile of pneumatic announces the entry of it. With its sight, Edouard Michelin known as with his brother Andre: “Looks at, with arms, that would make a catch! ” Some time after, the draftsman O' Gallop comes to show with André Michelin his projects of advertizing posters. It is an image refused by a brewery which holds the attention of the industrialist. One sees there a man of a beautiful plumpness which holds up a beer tankard while exclaiming: “Nunc is Bibendum! ”. This drinker points out to him the observation made by his Edouard brother…

A draft sees the day in April 1898: the large character consists of tires, the tankard is replaced by a cut filled with fragment of glass and nails, the Latin sentence was preserved, one sees the other guests who " dégonflent" , and the slogan house is taken again: “Michelin, the tire which drinks the obstacle”.

In June of the same year imposing “a Michelin catch” makes beginnings noticed with the Motor-show of Paris. In July, at the time of the race Paris Amsterdam - Paris, one of the runners - Leon Théry - sees to approach André Michelin and exclaims: “Hold, here is Bibendum! ”. The interpellation is perhaps off-hand, but the industrialist knows there that it holds the name of his character.

The symbol

It is the beginning long and profitable collaboration with the draftsman O' Gallop - of its true name Marius Rossillon. The first publicity is published in the press in 1899. Supported by a series of posters of 1901 with 1913, Bibendum is not long in becoming popular and with being adopted like advertizing emblem of the tires of the mark.

Represented in foot, with eyeglasses and Cigar with the mouth, it is declined under innumerable representations. Even the politicking caricature, seizes some towards 1906. Perched on advertizing vehicles, it is present on the road racing sets and cyclists (Tour de France) and parades with the procession of the Carnaval of Nice and that of Paris. In 1908, an office of the Tourisme is created and Bibendum becomes omnipresent in the press and the various works published by the house clermontoise. (Guides, road maps, routes, leaflet, postcards…) Its notoriety is not long in crossing the borders. Starting from 1927, its effigy is everywhere: in the mechanics, in the cars, the houses and in the form of chocolate for the children. In 1930, the company curbs this proliferation of the image which exceeds it. It keeps only the road maps and the guides of voyages. Bibendum stops some smoking its cigar.

The ambassador

Passer by from one draftsman to another, his appearance will evolve/move considerably during time and of the graphic modes. It will invest planet and will be the object of multiple metamorphoses. Starting from 1963 and throughout the Years 1970, of the Michelin caravans visit a great number of seaside resorts of France and Europe to organize sets of beaches with organizers dressed up as Bibendum. He is the ideal ambassador to make known in the whole world the hotel tires, road maps, guides and tourist guides of the firm of Clermont-Ferrand.

To celebrate the centenary of their famous Mascot, new a Logotype made its appearance in 1998. The catch lost a little its roundnesses. Its silhouette is now slimmer. In 2000, Bibendum is elected better logo of the century by an international jury.

The centenary of 1998 sees also the creation of a Challenge Bibendum Michelin, organized each year since (except 1999).

Anecdotes

It is of white color because, at the time of the Michelin brothers, the tires were packed of white tissue paper.
It carries today the diminutive of Bib in the company auvergnate.
By extension, in the slang of the Michelin company, the employees are called “the bibs”.
Become object of collection, its various effigies are very required by the collectors.
the word “bibendum” is neither in Petit Larousse , nor in the Grand Robert .
In the popular speech, it arrives that a person having plumpness is apostrophized with irony of the nickname of bibendum.
In Coke in Stock , an album of the adventures of Tintin left in 1958, the Captain Haddock insult an Estonian by treating it of “species of Bibendum. ”
a Cartoon uses the name for its hero: celestial Bibendum , scenario and drawing of Nicolas de Crécy, associated humanoïdes (3 Volumes: 1994, 1999, 2002).
One of the songs of the group Tryo, is entitled Mr Bibendum . She is reproduced on the album Grain of sand, left in 2003.
In the novel of William Gibson, Identification of the diagrams , the main character, Cayce, is affected of a phobia of Bibendum Michelin.

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