Our thinking on business and brand, and what makes them grow
Double life of the Michelin Man
What started as brand content to sell more tires evolved into its own business. The Michelin Guide still bears the same identity as the tire company it originated from. Image: Adobe Stock
By Sue Ann Ho, Founder
13 July 2025 • 4 min read
The Michelin Man's real name is Bibendum. It comes from the Latin word that means "to drink".
TAKEAWAYS
- A memorable brand experience can be born from an unexpected solution to a business goal.
- You know you have a breakout brand experience in your hands when it takes a life of its own.
- A truly great brand experience makes people want to be a part of your brand story.
The Michelin Man leads quite the double life. Actually, make that a triple life. Bibendum (his real name, which means “to drink” in Latin) famously mascots for tires, digital maps, and the restaurant star ratings guide that has made many a truly talented chef’s career.
Tires and maps, we get. But how did Bibendum wind up also becoming the face of culinary excellence?
A business spun off from brand experience
First came Michelin Tires. The business was founded by brothers André and Édouard Michelin in France, in an era when cars were still a novelty and petrol stations were scarce. Less than 3,000 automobiles existed in the country back then. This was after all the late 1800s. How do you sell more tires in this kind of market?
The Michelin brothers needed more people to drive and for them to drive more. Mercedes, Benz, Fiat or Peugeot, owned, rented or borrowed, it doesn’t matter. More driving distances covered means more worn tires means more tires sold.
So the brothers hit upon the genius idea to make car journeys rewarding—the original brand purpose of the Michelin Guide? These journeys had to be long enough so that two legs and the bicycle aren’t going to hack it as an alternative. We’d probably have to credit the popularisation of road trips to the Michelins.
The road from brand content to brand experience
The original Guide Michelin was a small red book of brand content that included maps, tips on how to change a tire, where to find petrol etc. But it was only after it included hotel and restaurant listings too that it grew in influence. The Michelin brothers rode on the popularity of the Guide and nurtured it. They hired mystery dining inspectors to conduct authentic restaurant reviews. Later on, they devised the three-star ratings system that have turned chefs into rock stars overnight and transformed their restaurants into destinations.
By the 1930s, the Guide had become more than brand content. People were interacting with it, using the Guide to drive their growing appetite for culinary adventures. Even today, when the experience of driving for gourmet adventures has been somewhat diluted by the fact that we’re enabled to drive for many other types of car adventures, Bibendum’s big, friendly face is still there to remind us of the link between driving and good food.
Another brand, another experience
Fast forward to the 1950s, another brand was settling pub arguments and perhaps averting more brawls in London with the Guinness Book of Records. No prizes for guessing which brand.
Conceived to settle the question of the fastest game bird in Europe, the 1955 first edition of the Book covered a wide range of statistical records (ironically nothing about the fastest game bird, cheers!) and quickly became a UK bestseller.
Like the Michelin Guide, the Guinness Book of Records evolved far beyond its original purpose as a brand experience and became its own business and brand. But then, its story takes a different turn in 2001 when it was sold to new owners. Today, the brewery and Guinness World Records as it is now known, are no longer a part of the same business.
Whether it’s culinary road trips or the final word on pub quarrels, these brand experiences make us want to be a part of it. No longer just customers on the outside, we become a part of the brand’s story.
Local businesses can create these experiences too. The neighbourhood watch repair shop can start hosting watch appreciation evenings for collectors, for example, and give its customers a way to participate in what they’re passionate about. When customers become part of your brand story rather than just buyers of your products, you’ve created something much more valuable than a transaction.
Brand building isn’t hidden theory. It’s all around us. By noticing how successful brands connect with people, we can take the guesswork out of building brands that stand out and grow.
