THE TYPE BEHIND BIBENDUM
The first Michelin Guide from 1900 (facsimile)
We’ve recently been delving into our archive, looking back at some of our favourites logos and sharing them in our Logo Library on Instagram. Last week we revisited the identity we created for Bibendum, which was heavily inspired by the wonderful lettering that adorns the iconic Michelin House in London, where the restaurant resides.
Like all of our projects, typography in the Bibendum rebrand played a vital role, especially in the menu design. With French Chef Patron Claude Bosi at the helm and located in the old Michelin headquarters, we decided to look to the French tyre company’s heritage for inspiration.
The famous Michelin guides were the perfect place to start. First printed in 1900, they were pocket sized gems for motorists, and so full of fonts that they could easily have doubled up as type specimens. They feature a beautiful mix of varied vernacular type in different sizes, combined with clearly structured text for the details. Intriguing icons and a range of rules add to the charm. Each element is completely characterful and undeniably French.
Beyond the guides, we gathered Michelin maps from the 1920s to the 1950s, which were similar in their typographic approach to delivering information. They gave us a rich palette of lettering styles from which to draw inspiration, with a clear hierarchy to bring it all together.
It was important that what we were creating didn’t fall into becoming a pastiche, the new identity needed a more modern and refined flavour, yet we wanted to retain a clear connection to the ghosts of the Michelin’s long history. As always, if we look to the past for inspiration it must be relevant for the brand and its audience, both now and going forward.
