From the depths ofthe ocean to the height ofstardom, Paul the octopus’
star hasn’t gone dim yet.
After shooting to famethis summer by correctlypredicting the results ofeach of Germany’s WorldCup matches—includingtipping Spain to beat Netherlands in the final—the cephalopod oracle fromthe Sea Life aquarium in Oberhausen was featured in recent print ads for theGerman supermarket chain Rewe.
The ads, which were shot about a week ago, show Paul in histrademark pose atop a transparent box after snatching a mussel frominside. Naturally, Paul chose the Rewe box.
How long did it take Paul to choose the mussel from the Rewe box?
“Instantly,” the mollusk’s England-based agent Chris Davis told SPIEGELONLINE. Neither Rewe nor Davis would disclose the amount Paul earnedfrom the ad, but the agent would only say that it was “substantial” sum.
Paul’s income will go to a turtle sanctuary in Greece, according to theagent. “Paul has turned into a million-plusbrand instantly,” says Davis, noting thatPaul has so far received more than 160offers to hawk products. “I have had 37offers just this morning,” he said on Friday.
Rewe i s so f a r unde c ided onwhether it will continue its work with thecuddly octopus. “It cannot be ruled out thatwe will use the well-known octopus againin our advertising,” Rewe spokeswomanJulia Robertz told SPIEGEL ONLINE inan e-mail. Robertz added that Paul’s imagewill only be used in the short-term.
Paul may have bigger fish to fry, anyway. The octopus also has hiseight arms wrapped around a book deal, a plush toy contract and will swimalongside David Beckham to promote England’s bid for the 2018 WorldCup, says Davis.
Nevertheless, campaigning for a supermarket chain may beproblematic for the mollusk. On Rewe’s own website, the Cologne-basedsupermarket calls octopus “tasty” and says that “especially coveted are theirmeaty arms, which also come deep-frozen and pre-fried.”
The limelight has come with unexpected perils for Paul. Recently,Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad accused Paul of spreading“western propaganda and superstition” and posing as a symbol of“decadence and decay,” according to the British daily, the Telegraph.
Davis even claims that he needs a security detail as Paul’s agent followingAhmadinejad’s comments.
Even so, Paul is no stranger to danger. During the World Cup,disappointed fans from Argentina to Germany threatened to roast theoctopus after he correctly foresaw losses by their squads.
But Paul has a legion of protectors in Spain.
