Olli

Olli is a Dutch children's book 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. Olli was one of many characters used on the packages and posters of the bottled water brand and John's Phone. Olli was launched at a party of MTV In Rotterdam in 2004. In 2013 Olli was again part of a campaign. This time to save the Rotterdam Zoo Diergaarde Blijdorp. Olli is part of the Ollimania family which is the company that created and owns all characters. Olli became a national hype in the Netherlands from the launch in 2004. After the launch Olli became the symbol of Rotterdam and professional football club Feyenoord.
On 10 September 2015, Ollimania and its creators Hein Mevissen and Diederiekje Bok donated a huge Olli statue to the Sophia Children's hospital in Rotterdam.
Books.
The first two Ollimania books 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 in the Netherlands. In June 2015 Ollimania published again two new books called 'Olli en de woestijndraak' and 'Olli op reis'.
Big Olli.
There are two big Olli's. They are the elder version of small Olli. The Big Olli's is a special creature model made for several charities. One is a permanent hard plastic polyester statue at the Sophia Children's hospital and another one has a temporarily place at the Rotterdam Zoo. The big Olli that is used in the short film to save the Rotterdam ZOO is stored at a secret location according to 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. 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 river the Maas in 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.
Background.
Hein Mevissen and Diederiekje Bok have a history in creating things that help people. 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 one campaign to generate more traffic and money for a ZOO in Rotterdam.
Awards.
In December 2013 Hein Mevissen and Diederiekje Bok of John Doe got awarded with the highest Dutch advertising award the Golden Loeki for this campaign. The agency John Doe got the award in a Live television show from Arian Buurman, CEO of the Stichting Ether Reclame who hosts the Loeki awards.