The Michelin Babies
Tires represent an example of a low-interest category. Buying a
car is fun. Buying tires is a drag. Thank goodness we don’t
have to buy them very often.
This natural lack of interest explains why advertising tires
is a difficult problem. The minute a tire ad appears on your
TV screen, your mind immediately goes into a defensive mode.
Michelin has found a very successful way to get around
these defenses. They use one of the most powerful emotional
symbols in the business as a way of encouraging memory.
They use little babies sitting in tires.
These little tykes not only keep people watching and
remembering but they communicate “safety ...