Back in 1888, two French brothers, André and Édouard Michelin, decided to pivot from their family’s dwindling farm equipment business. André, an engineer, and Édouard, a landscape painter, decided to expand their business by offering vulcanised rubber tyres during the rise of the automobile era, and voilà, Michelin Tyre Company was born.
As they tinkered with a bicycle tyre in their factory, the Michelin brothers stumbled upon a game-changer – a method that rendered tyre glue obsolete, paving the way for the world’s first removable pneumatic tyre in 1889.
In the early days of the automobile industry, when cars were still figuring out their way in the world, the Michelin brothers decided to take the scenic route to success. They cooked up an ingenious plan to create a guidebook, a hot commodity in those times.
These guidebooks were the epitome of quality. Even though publishing guides wasn’t their main gig, they made sure everything they touched was as polished as a Michelin-starred plate.
While other companies were still figuring out their logos, Michelin had Bibendum, serving as their ambassador.
His enduring popularity has made him one of the world’s most recognisable corporate mascots, transcending the world of advertising to become a cultural and automotive icon.