In those days, the only animal toys available were farm animals and pet figurines ...
That's why one day in France, a certain Monsieur RAMPEAU, came up with the idea of designing a giraffe. he used his expertise in transforming latex from the HEVEA tree with the rotational molding of rubber as a toy-making concept.
Such an exotic wildlife figure would be a first on the market, and its size and shape would be ideal for a baby's small hand to grasp.
Sophie la girafe...
...who looks exactly the same as she does today, went into production on Thursday, May 25th, hence her name.
She was an immediate success. Parents quickly recognized that she was a must for their baby... When the first signs of teething appear, Sophie la girafe helps babies stop crying!
By simple word of mouth, the little giraffe's fame spread. From then on around the world, generations upon generations of children were to love hearing Sophie squeak whenever they pressed her tummy or head!
VULLI, a company based in Rumilly in the Haute-Savoie region of France has continued to keep the highly guarded secret of how this wonder toy is made.
To this day, Sophie la girafe is still traditionally produced, a process that involves more than 14 manual operations.
She is made from 100% natural rubber derived from the latex of the Hevea tree.
Courtesy of Sophielagirafe.fr
