extended bovine family member | prohibited advertising | Spain

But things weren't always so good for the extended bovine family member. In 1962, a law was passed mandating that billboards be at least 400 feet from the side of the road. At that time, there were hundreds of 23-foot-tall bulls dotting the Spanish landscape, and they all had to come down. Instead of simply moving them, Osborne decided to dispense with the originals and to install much larger (and fewer) bulls in order to ensure that motorists could still see them at the newly regulated distances. Osborne increased the bull's size to 45 feet, the height it is now, and used the opportunity to make one additional change. The bulls were initially painted with the words Veterano Osborne. This time around, though, they decided to paint the words Osborne - Sherry & Brandy on the bulls, hoping to make what was the symbol for one of their products a symbol for all of them.

In 1988, the roadside homes of their adopted brethren were again threatened. Another law regarding roadside signage was passed, and this one prohibited advertising next to public highways altogether. In hopes of skirting the measure, Osborne had the writing on the bulls painted over. Although it brought them reprieve for a short time, it wasn't long before they were fined and instructed to remove the bulls. That's when things got really interesting. It suddenly became clear that the bulls had a much larger extended family than Osborne could have ever imagined. Overwhelming numbers of Spaniards protested the removal of what they had come to think of as "their" bull, arguing that it had become a vital part of the Spanish roadside and, in fact, of Spain itself.