For the first time in nearly a decade of its presence in India, French tyre manufacturer Michelin will launch a TV commercial in the country. This will also be Indian television viewers' maiden look at the iconic 'Michelin Man' in action.
One of the largest tyre manufacturers in the world, Michelin was founded in 1889. Roughly ten years later, the company's founder brothers unveiled the Michelin Man logo, which has now come to be synonymous with the company.
In the year 2000, the Bibendum, known to the English-speaking world as the Michelin Man, was voted as the 20th century's best logo by an international panel. The mascot has been a part of European's popular culture, appearing in novels to comics such as Asterix.
The 118 year-old Michelin Man will debut on Indian television channels in a video themed "safely ahead." The ad will highlight the tyre technology firm's ability to provide safer mobility for motorcyclists and scooter riders.
The Michelin Man 'Safely Ahead' campaign is expected to promote safety by describing the fitment of its tyres on bad roads, grip it provides on wet roads and the stopping ability to minimse the braking distance, the company said in a statement.
The ad campaign was conceptualized by India's creative agency Publicis India and the film has been executed by French 3D animated film specialist, In Efecto.
The company has been a pioneer in tyre innovations - like its replacable two-wheeler tyres as early as 1891 and slick tyres for motorcycle racing in 1974, said Drive Spark. Michelin was also the first company to invent radial tyres for on-road motorcycles and has remained the sole supplier of tyres for the Moto GP racing series.
French illustrator O'Galop designed the logo in 1898.
