The silhouettes of the Osborne bull that line motorways or stand on hilltops are a recognised national icon. To celebrate the 65th anniversary of the brand icon, the bull has a new look.
The Osborne bull were first used to advertise brandy for the drinks company. Designed by Manolo Prieto in 1956, it became a national cultural symbol in 2005 when the Spanish government protected it.
Red design
To mark the 65th anniversary, Spanish artist Juan Díaz-Faes created a new version in collaboration with Osborne and the arts project Coleccion Solo.
The outline of the original bull was retained by Díaz-Faes, though in a smaller scale of 4 x 4 metres. The artist’s distinctive style of geometric shapes, lines and bustling patterns fills the bull’s body in red.
Díaz-Faes said, “The Osborne bull takes me back to the time of my grandparents when people would travel around Spain in cars; when travel was very different. I think the majority of Spaniards identify with the bull image.”
Fundación Osborne and a tour
The redesigned bull is on display in the Fundación Osborne museum in Cadiz before going on tour in London, Berlin and Beijing from August.
The originals
There are 90 bulls across Spain with others in Mexico, Denmark and Japan. It has inspired film-makers, artists and photographers for decades.
The originals measure 14 x 14 metres and four tonnes.
