A Stolen Michelin Man Returns After a Night on the Town

A group of friends in Turkey decided the iconic Michelin Man deserved a night off. A security camera captured the whole thing, but this is no ordinary theft. The inflatable mascot, known as Bibendum, was taken for a joyride, documented on video, and returned before the shop opened the next morning.

The roughly one-minute clip, set to a remix of Flo Rida’s "Right Round," shows four men jumping from a black Jeep Wrangler. They quickly stuff the deflated figure into the back. What follows is a color montage of Bibendum’s adventures: perched on a green dinosaur statue, seated at a McDonald’s table with fries, strapped to a motorcycle at a gas station, and lounging on a living room sofa.

The mascot, which Michelin claims 90% of the world recognizes, seemed to enjoy the attention.

The video ends with security footage of a single man sprinting back to the shop. He places the deflated figure on its platform, plugs it in, and jogs away as Bibendum re-inflates behind him. The shop likely opened with no idea anything had happened. This isn’t the first time a Michelin Man has been stolen, an Australian army officer once took one from a Turkish garage during a WWI visit, making it his unit’s emblem.

No damage, no drama, and the mascot was home before work.