Hauser, Christine; Anderson, Christina (21 April 2017). "At This Museum, Failures Are Welcome". The New York Times. a b c Holbrook, Emily (26 September 2022). "BIC Joins 1% for the Planet". Environment+Energy Leader . Retrieved 15 September 2023. Lepitak, Stephen (4 May 2021). "Snoop Dogg and Martha Stewart Promote Bic Lighter in New Partnership". Adweek. Robust build: The pen’s durability is attributable to its construction from technical plastics, designed to endure thousands of uses, thus guaranteeing its long-term dependability.

In 1961 Bic Orange pen was introduced, featuring a fine 0.8mm (0.031in) point and an orange barrel instead of translucent. Bic makes this pen at its own plants in Europe. A Brief History of Flame: The Story of the Everyday Lighter". sharrowmills.com . Retrieved 15 September 2023. The pen’s physical design has seen significant advancements, too, with a focus on aesthetics and user comfort. The market now sports sleeker, ergonomic models that are lighter to hold and smoother to write with. Marketing initiatives have been instrumental in spotlighting these improvements, emphasizing both their practicality and visual appeal. Expanded Versatility Additionally, in August 2021, to celebrate more than 70 years of the Cristal Ballpoint Pen, Bic has collaborated with luxury French malletier, Pinel et Pinel, on the launch of a special-edition version of its iconic pen. [59] Corporation, B. I. C. (13 April 2021). "BIC USA Inc. Launches Its First Full Range Eco-Friendly Stationery Line Made Of At Least 50% Recycled Plastic". www.prnewswire.com . Retrieved 15 September 2023.a b c d Fletcher, Alan, ed. (2006). Phaidon Design Classics – Volume 2 (1. publ.ed.). London: Phaidon Press. ISBN 0-7148-4399-7. The commencement of the process involves a meticulous selection of technical plastics. These plastics are known for their resilience, able to endure thousands of uses without faltering. These materials then undergo a transformation, shaped and molded to form the lightweight yet sturdy body of the pen that users come to appreciate. The Magic of the Mechanism

Assembling the mechanism forms the next step in this artful process. It entails the use of accurate springs that allow the user to switch between ink colors effortlessly without the need to swap pens. This feature is what makes the 4-Color Pen a beloved tool among its users. Quality Inspection and Global Distribution Bich invested heavily in advertising, hiring poster designer Raymond Savignac in 1952. That year Bic won the French Oscar de la publicité award for advertising. [2] In 1953 advertising executive Pierre Guichenné advised Bich to shorten his family name to Bic as an easy-to-remember, globally adaptable trade name for the pen, which fit in with product branding trends of the post-war era. [5] Early Bic advertisements in France referred to the Cristal as the "Atomic pen". [6] Throughout the 1950s and 1960s, the Bic Cristal's writing tip and ergonomic design helped shift the worldwide market for pens from fountain pens to ballpoints. Portability: The BIC 4-Color Pen is compact and featherweight, making it an ideal companion for those who need a reliable writing tool while on the move. Société Bic S.A., commonly called Bic and stylized as BiC, is a French manufacturing corporation based in Clichy, Hauts-de-Seine. A world leader in stationery, lighters, and shavers for more than 75 years, BIC has become one of the world’s most recognized brands and is a trademark registered worldwide. It was founded in 1945 by Marcel Bich. [3] History [ edit ]Bic sponsored a professional cycling team in the 1960s, led by Tour de France winners Jacques Anquetil and Luis Ocaña. [51] The company began sponsoring the Tour again in 2011 as an "official supporter", [52] which they have continued to do to the present day. [ citation needed] Bic boss Bruno Bich not disposable after all". Gulf-Times (in Arabic). 22 May 2016 . Retrieved 27 May 2021. The BIC Cristal (stylised as BiC Cristal and also known as the Bic pen) is an inexpensive, disposable ballpoint pen mass-produced and sold by Société Bic of Clichy, Hauts-de-Seine, France. It was introduced in 1950 and is the best-selling pen in the world, with the 100 billionth sold in September 2006. It has become the archetypal ballpoint pen and is considered ubiquitous, [1] to the extent that the Museum of Modern Art has made it a permanent part of its collection. Its hexagonal form and design mimics a standard pencil and it is sold in six types of point and 18 colours around the world. The BIC 4-Color Pen was ingeniously crafted to allow the user to switch between ink colors without the need to swap pens. This was made possible due to a singular mechanism, employing precision springs, that helped in selecting the color of choice. Constructed from durable technical plastics, the pen could endure countless color changes. Marcel Bich, inventor of the BIC 4-Color Pen.

On November 20, 1962, BIC launched a range of three luxury ballpoint pens: Chrome, Luxury, and Grand Luxury. In 1969, Bic launched its advertising campaign in the United States. A year later, the 4-color Bic was launched. The 4 color pen allowed one to change the ink color without changing the pen. [13] Bic's ability to mass produce the manufacturing of their pens resulted in low prices. [14] BIC Partners With Eric Andre and Annie Murphy To Launch New BIC EasyRinse Razor". Newswire . Retrieved 18 October 2023. Between 1950 and the 1970s, BIC expanded globally into Italy, the Netherlands, Austria, Switzerland, and Spain. In 1956, the company established itself in Brazil, and soon after expanded into the United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand, and Scandinavia in 1957. [5] In 1958, the takeover of the American company " Waterman Pen Company" allowed BIC to establish itself in the United States while continuing its development in Africa and the Middle East. [11] In 1959, BIC acquired the Swedish company Ballograf. [12] Sayer, Peter (11 July 2008). "Bic phone is no throw-away gadget, says Orange". Network World . Retrieved 28 September 2022.

A Book for Her by Bridget Christie review – a hybrid of writing and performance". the Guardian. 20 July 2015 . Retrieved 4 June 2021. Bic's shaving portfolio expanded throughout the 1990s and 2000s, adding the Soleil, a brand of razors for women, in 2004, and increasing the number of blades until the Flex 5 launched, with five blades, in January 2015 in the United States. [45] [46] Environmental efforts [ edit ] BIC Ecolutions HB Mechanical Pencils The 4-Color Pen, a staple in the stationery world, has undergone numerous modifications and upgrades throughout its history. This iconic brand continually innovates, crafting new designs and incorporating additional features to cater to consumer preferences. For instance, recent collaborations with fashion designers have birthed limited-edition pens boasting distinctive patterns and hues, a big hit among collectors. The Evolution of Design Le Bic Cristal, a documentary for television directed by Danielle Schirman and first aired on Arte in October 2005. [61] [62] Delving deeper into BIC’s historical records and related documentation could unravel further facets of the creator’s persona and the odyssey of the 4-Color Pen’s inception.