BIC®
In October 1944, Marcel Bich (1914-1994) and his associate Edouard Buffard (1908-1996) founded P.P.A. (Porte-mines, Porte-plume et Accessoires) in Clichy-la-Garenne, France, and began to manufacture spare parts for writing instruments. Upon predicting the success of the ballpoint pen, which was gaining popularity after its invention by John Loud in 1888, Marcel Bich purchased and improved on the patent held by the Hungarian László Biró. In December 1950, he launched his first ballpoint pen and called it BIC®, an (...) Read More
In October 1944, Marcel Bich (1914-1994) and his associate Edouard Buffard (1908-1996) founded P.P.A. (Porte-mines, Porte-plume et Accessoires) in Clichy-la-Garenne, France, and began to manufacture spare parts for writing instruments. Upon predicting the success of the ballpoint pen, which was gaining popularity after its invention by John Loud in 1888, Marcel Bich purchased and improved on the patent held by the Hungarian László Biró. In December 1950, he launched his first ballpoint pen and called it BIC®, an abbreviated and simpler-to-remember version of his surname.
It was an immediate success. Supported by extensive and incredibly high-class advertising campaigns, the product struck the heart of its consumers. The company, which then extended its range of ballpoint pens, quickly expanded beyond French borders: Italy and, gradually, the rest of Western Europe in 1954; Brazil in 1956; the UK and British Pound area in 1957; the US in 1958; Africa and the Middle East in 1960… With its timeless, minimalist design, the BIC® Cristal® broke ground for the BIC® brand innovation strategy: to offer products that make life simpler, last longer, are of extremely high quality, and are sold at the right price for everyone, everywhere.
Based on the same philosophy, in 1973 BIC® launched a pocket lighter and, two years later, the first one-piece single-blade razor. It then added drawing, coloring, marking, and correction products to its portfolio, along with temporary tattoos and hairbrushes. This is how the Group has continued to expand and strengthen its market positioning worldwide.
Today, the BIC® Cristal® is the most-sold pen in the world. Its use is not limited to writing: artists employ it for illustration and disparate kinds of art. Top museums in the world – such as the New York Museum of Modern Art (MoMA), the Galleria Nazionale d’Arte Moderna e Contemporanea (national gallery of modern and contemporary art) of Rome, or the Centre Georges Pompidou in Paris – have included the BIC® Cristal® in their permanent collections.
By creating ingeniously simple products, BIC® has become a world leader in the fine arts, lighter, and razor markets, as well as one of the most popular brands in the world. It sells 28 million products every day, in over 160 countries, 92% of which it manufactures in its factories.
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