Drive across Spain and sooner or later you will come upon a black silhouette of a bull on a roadside vantage point which is an advertisement for Osborne Brandy.
In some provinces, notably Cataluña, Galicia and no doubt others, they have been vandalised in protest at them being ‘Spanish’ – this hasn’t happened to my knowledge in Andalucía. I regularly evidence them when driving around Córdoba, Granada, Jaén, Málaga and Almería provinces.
In total there are 23 across Andalucia and I confess that I haven’t seen them all but I have seen quite a few.
Now I like a bit of history so in 1956 these bulls started to appear on the roadside throughout Spain although there was some controversy in 1994 when advertising was banned within 150 metres of the road but Spain being Spain the government decided to give the bulls a reprieve.
Interesting to know the association of Bulls and Spain! It seems like an amusing way to advertise brandy.
I remember having seen The Osborne Bull countless times back in the seventies when we use to travel across Spain for holidays, my parents, brother, sister and I. At first they seem to be of normal size but actually they are huge in order to be seen from a long distance. For me it’s a good memory cos’ it means holidays with family. Thanks to have reminded it to me ..