Olli

Olli is a cartoon character and a stuffed toy. The character Olli was original created in 2004 by Dutch designer and film director Hein Mevissen and writer Diederiekje Bok as a character for a bottled mineral water.^[1] Olli was one of many characters used on the packages and posters of the bottled water brand and John's Phone. Olli was launched on a party of MTV In Rotterdam in 2004.^[2] In 2013 Olli^[3] was again part of a campaign.^[4] This time to save the Rotterdam Zoo Diergaarde Blijdorp. Olli became a national hype^[5] in the Netherlands from the launch in 2004. After the launch Olli became the symbol^[6] of Rotterdam^[7] and professional football club Feyenoord.^[8][9]

Books

The first two Ollimania books^[10] were launched in October 2014. 'Olli en het poepkanon' and 'Olli is een olifant'. Both books made it into the top 10 of best sold children books^[11] in the Netherlands.

Design

Hein Mevissen and Diederiekje Bok from design company John Doe designed Olli from the basic shape of a soccer ball. They believe the basic shape, size and character was part of Olli's success. This made Olli easily recognizable to audiences. Olli is drawn in a minimalist style, requiring only a few lines and one primary color. Olli was created in three sizes, one small size 4.7 in. one medium, size 11 in. and one big size 7.2 ft.

Big Olli

There are two big Olli's. They are the elder version of small Olli. One of the Big Olli's is a special creature model made for the commercial and the other one has its own temporarily place at the Rotterdam Zoo. The original big Olli that is used in the short film is stored at a secret location according the creators.

Fictional character biography

Olli is toy elephant grown to the size of a real elephant. Olli is a lovable character with furry friends living in a Japanese fantasy world. Later in 2013 there was a story added that he was also the favorite toy of Famous Soccer player Giovanni van Bronckhorst. Together they are the main cast of a short film.^[12] In Rotterdam, Netherlands of 1980, Giovanni van Bronckhorst is a little boy (played in the short film by the son of Giovanni van Bronckhorst). One day, he discovers a stuffed Elephant at the Rotterdam Zoo and immediately grows attached to it. The name of the elephant is Olli. Giovanni takes him everywhere he goes, especially when he plays soccer. One day during a soccer game, he loses Olli in the canal of Rotterdam. 28 years later in 2013, Giovanni became a Famous Soccer Player and trainer of soccer club Feyenoord and Olli, also grew big, reunite again.^[13]

Background

Hein Mevissen and Diederiekje Bok have a history in creating things that help people.^[14] To give something back to society and convince big brands to do so too. Olli was a few times part of a strategy they developed in 2004 and created Olli as a separate brand to generate awareness and in the last campaign to generate more traffic and money for a ZOO in Rotterdam.

Awards

In December 2013 Hein Mevissen and Diederiekje Bok of John Doe^[15] got awarded with the highest Dutch advertising award^[16][17][18] the Golden Loeki^[19] for this campaign. The agency John Doe got the award in a Live television^[20] show from Arian Buurman, CEO of the Stichting Ether Reclame who hosts the Loeki awards.

Sales

In 2013 Olli was used to help and save the Rotterdam zoo to generate money after the zoo lost government funding. In one year over 200.000 Olli's^[21] were sold. Olli also generated 75.000 more visitors for the Rotterdam zoo.

References

External links

• Official Olli website
• Official Facebook page
• Designers
• Official website Feyenoord