Michelin Man - Tubular shaped man (a.k.a. "Bibendum,"
or "Old Bib") made from tires who first appeared in 1898 ads for the Michelin
Company. According to advertising legend, the Michelin brothers Edouard and
Andre were inspired by a display of tires stacked one on top another while they
attended a tire exhibition in Lyon, France. With the help of an artist named
O'Galup, the image of the Michelin Man was born. Its nickname "Bibendum" comes
from an early ad caption stating "Nunc est bibendum," a Latin phrase meaning
"Now is the time to drink." (The ad showed the Michelin Man drinking down a
beverage filled with spikes, nails, glass, etc. to show that its product was
tough and could withstand the rigors of the open road). The original Bibendum
wore glasses and smoked a cigar.
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