What is the Osborne bull?
If you’re traveling through the Spanish country you see huge black silhouettes, this is the Osborne bull. There are 92 bulls placed in different areas of Spain. The bulls are 14 meters high. It began to be used for advertising the brandy “Veterano” of the Osborne group. The designer was Manolo Prieto.
History
He was created by the designer commissioned by the firm Osborne in 1956.
The bull first appeared in 1958. They placed him near the roads, at some higher areas to create contrast with the blue sky.
In 1988 it was prohibited by law advertising along the highways and provincial roads. The Bulls managed to survive because they removed the advertising labels. In 1994 came a new regulation to remove all Osborne bulls. There was a great protest from the Spanish society, so they stopped. In 1997 they were declared by the Spanish Court to cultural and artistic heritage. The bull had lost its advertising goal and is integrated into the landscape.
It is almost a child’s play to travel through the country and to look for them. Finding the first confirms: “We are in Spain.”
Photos: Ángeles Nieto
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