GREENVILLE, S.C., Feb. 18, 2019 — In the early 20th century, Édouard and André Michelin introduced the famed Michelin Guide to encourage people to drive their automobiles farther and more frequently. The #MichelinRocks campaign was introduced in September 2018 to continue on this dedication to mobility. #MichelinRocks, a nationwide painted-rock initiative, celebrates the marvels of motoring while incorporating the growing hobby of painting rocks.
The #MichelinRocks contest encouraged modern travelers to paint a rock with their favorite mode of transportation and share their creation on social media.
“Throughout Michelin’s 120 year history, the Company has always encouraged creativity, innovation and companionship. The #MichelinRocks campaign is another example of how Michelin engages with the community, both locally and nationally. During the campaign we had thousands of website gallery visits and dozens of entry submissions,” said Jill Goulette, director of B2B customer experience for Michelin North America. “After all the wonderful submissions, two winners have been selected by the public after their rocks rose above the rest: Coleman Taylor for the youth category and Patsy Casteen for the adult category.”
Coleman, a fourth-grader at Pink Hill Elementary School in Pink Hill, N.C., used his love of unusual rocks and John Deere tractors to inspire his design. Using a rock he found on vacation off the Blue Ridge Parkway near Mount Airy, this “future farmer” painted a green tractor in a field with a blue sky in the background. His $500 prize will be paired with a school grant to build a safety fence, which will make the school’s car-rider line safer.
Casteen, from Valdosta, Ga., received a $250 gift card for painting an iconic red pickup truck with an evergreen tree in the truck bed during the winter season.