Huge black bulls standing proud on the hills by the road have now become a symbol of Spain. Drive around and you are bound to spot them!
There are over 90 of these massive creatures scattered across the country, most of them towering at 14 metres.
But what on earth are they doing there? Well, it all comes down to brandy!
Back in the 1950s, Osborne, a well-known Spanish brandy company, wanted to jazz up their advertising. They hired an artist named Manolo Prieto. Manolo understood how important bulls are in Spanish culture. So he came up with a clever idea: giant silhouettes of fierce fighting bulls, placed right next to busy roads, with “Osborne Veterano” written across their sides in big, bold letters.
Symbol of Spain: Bulls loved by the public
Originally made from wood, the bulls were soon rebuilt in metal to withstand the weather, car fumes, and general wear and tear. At one point, there were over 500 of them dotted around Spain, a few in Mexico, and oddly, even one in Copenhagen.
Then came a hiccup in 1962, new rules said roadside adverts were a distraction. So Osborne moved the bulls further from the road and made them even bigger.
Fast forward to 1988, and roadside advertising was banned altogether. But Osborne didn’t take the bulls down, they just removed the branding. At that point, everyone knew what the bulls stood for anyway.
In 1994, things got serious. The Spanish road authority decided the bulls had to go for good. But by then, the bulls weren’t just billboards, they were part of the landscape.
People kicked up a fuss. In Andalucía, Osborne’s home turf, the bulls were declared part of the region’s cultural heritage. Newspapers, locals, and even politicians got involved. Eventually, the matter reached the Supreme Court, which ruled in 1997 that the bulls could stay, as long as they stayed plain and logo-free.
