The Laughing Cow
La vache qui rit (French: " The cow that laughs " ) is the brand name of a French processed cheese the company fromageries Bel. The cheese produced since 1921 is mainly known for its round packaging, on the one laughing cow is depicted wearing the earrings in the shape of the same round packaging.
History
The design goes back to the French illustrator Benjamin Rabier (1864-1939), who decorated in World War trucks of the military with the image of a laughing cow. This image called guard Kyrie, an allusion to the German Valkyrie. This Rabier learned the cheese factory Léon Bel, with whom he teamed up.
La vache qui rit was an industrial product at a time, were still manufactured and marketed primarily as artisanal agricultural products. Concept, packaging, marketing were breaking new ground in many ways. The cheese was mainly intended for children, which should be particularly addressed.
The special feature of the figure is that they are a mise en abyme is a recurring image of the image in the image. This is to go back to a suggestion of Léon Bel's wife. The Laughing Cow wears earrings, which in turn show a laughing cow who wears earrings, again showing a laughing cow. This has contributed to the lasting fame of the brand image.
In other countries, the cheese also known by other names such as The Laughing Cow (UK and U.S.) or The Laughing Cow ( Germany ) is sold. On the cheese cubes Cheese & Fun, Party Cubes, Belcube, Apéricube is " The Laughing Cow " displayed. Other brands of the company Bel Babybel, Leerdammer, Bonbel and Kiri.
La vache qui rit is in France today, one of the most famous brands: Almost 95 percent of French people they know.
Effect on art and culture
In 1925 appeared a parody called La vache sérieuse ( The grave cow), but had to be discontinued after 1956 actions the company Bel for plagiarism.
The name of the cheese has also found its way into the art: it is used for example in Wim Wenders' film Paris, Texas from 1984 before. Hunter, who grew up in the French-born Anne, its after a long time emerged Father Travis brings in the word. In this film often plays the mise en abyme in other places a role in so far as La vache qui rit there is part of a larger reference context.
The French cartoonist Franquin has the laughing cow as a recurring motif road, for example on billboards or tarpaulins used in its first issues of the series Spirou and Fantasio.
The Belgian artist Marcel Broodthaers used in 1968, the packaging for one of its editions for its Wide White Space Gallery in Antwerp. " La Vache qui rit " consists of eight boxes in the Broodthaers the text " Je vous aime ", " un peu ", " beaucoup ", " passionémant ", " à la folie", "pas de tout ", as well as his signature " MB 68 " dispersed. He also put added single photographically reproduced letters.