How a roadside brandy advertisement became the unofficial national symbol of Spain

Countries & Cities · Published 15 October 2026 Swipe more like this →

In short: Originally designed in 1956 to sell brandy, the black silhouette of the Osborne bull has evolved from a commercial billboard into a contested cultural icon. Today, these massive steel structures dot the Spanish landscape, serving as both a symbol of national identity and a frequent target for political protest.

Created by Manolo Prieto in 1956, the Osborne bull was initially a simple wooden advertisement for the Osborne Group’s Brandy de Jerez. Over the decades, the billboards grew in size and complexity, shifting from four-meter wooden signs to 14-meter metal structures weighing four metric tons. This transformation was largely driven by changing Spanish regulations, including a 1962 law that forced billboards further from roads, prompting the company to increase the bull's scale to maintain visibility.

The bull’s status shifted dramatically in the 1990s. When new roadway regulations in 1994 mandated the removal of all roadside advertising, public outcry led the Spanish government to reclassify the silhouettes as part of the nation's cultural and artistic heritage. A 1997 Supreme Court ruling solidified this, declaring that the bulls had transcended their commercial origins to become a permanent, aesthetic feature of the landscape. While the Osborne Group retains exclusive commercial rights, the image has been adopted by sports fans and even the Spanish Armed Forces.

This national prominence has made the bull a lightning rod for regional tensions. In areas with strong independence movements, the silhouette is frequently vandalized or caricatured to represent local symbols, such as the Catalan donkey or the Basque sheep. Beyond domestic politics, the bull has gained international recognition, appearing in films like Jamón Jamón and as public art in cities like Copenhagen and Tokyo. Despite its evolution into a cultural icon, the company continues to maintain the structures, with 92 billboards remaining across Spain as of July 2022.

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