The exciting life of the little guy next to the Bic logo

BIC Boy

Even Bic recognizes that their logo has a somewhat mysterious friend. The corporate FAQ asks, “Who is that little guy standing next to the BIC logo?” The answer: the BIC boy, who was originally a schoolboy. But the story of the BIC logo has a bit more to it than that.

The original, simpler BIC logo

When Marcel Bich founded BIC, it was just a pen company (today the company sells everything plastic, from razors to surfboards). The first logo wasn’t the recognizable black and yellow we know today. It was jut an orange, slightly softened parallelogram with a more handwritten font. But beginning in 1952, Bich worked with designer Raymond Savignac on BIC campaigns, and that partnership led to the logo we know today.

Raymond Savignac creates BIC’s original, whimsical look

Raymond Savignac

Savignac was a pioneer in French graphic design thanks to his intentionally simplistic and childlike looking art. He took that to BIC with early ad campaigns.

BIC Boy Early

In 1961, he expanded his look to the logo. A schoolboy was a theme throughout his early work, and Savignac continued it by replacing the boy’s head with a ballpoint pen ball and giving him a pen to hold behind his back.

BIC Boy Later

The Bic boy was popular enough that he stuck around. Over time he was stylized along with the rest of the logo. Eventually, he moved next to Bic.

BIC Boy Stylized

Even though BIC has diversified into a wide range of plastic products, the schoolboy remains, his head the same tungsten carbide ball that appeared on 1961 BIC pens.

BIC Logo Full

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