Once upon a time...

... the simple story of a girafe borned on May 25th in the year 1961, Saint Sophie's day.

In those days, the only animal toys available were farm animals and pet figures ...That is why one day in France, a certain Monsieur RAMPEAU, who was an expert in transforming the latex from the HEVEA tree using the rotational moulding of rubber as a toy-making concept, came up with the idea of designing a giraffe. 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 looked exactly the same than she does today, went into production on a Thursday, May 25th, hence her name.

She was an immediate success. Young parents immediately 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.

A toy made from 100% natural rubber

The latex from the Hevea tree was first processed in 1928 using the vulcanization technique invented by Mr. Charles Goodyear.

The rubber used by Vulli comes exclusively from the Hevea trees growing in Malaysia. Each morning before the heat of the day settles in, the milky liquid that oozes from the cells beneath the bark is collected from these millions of Hevea trees. This liquid is known as "latex".

This latex is natural, soft, elastic, waterproof, insulating and pleasant to the smell and touch.

To create the little wonder that is Sophie la girafe, Vulli first heats the latex using a special process involving a technique called "rotomoulding" and then performs a series of 14 manual operations.

Still the same, even after more than 50 years...

Despite being born in 1961, Sophie la girafe has not aged in the slightest.

With sales of over 50 million units, she is the undisputed star for the very young.

The archetypal embodiment of an early learning toy, Sophie la girafe is a must-have! With widespread popularity, she is genuinely loved by every parent and child alike.

Sophie la girafe has become timeless and cross-generational.

Discover Sophie la girafe's manufacturing process through the video below.