Sophie the giraffe, who looked exactly the same then as she does today, went into production on a Thursday 25th May 1961, whence her name. She was an immediate success. Young mothers straightaway saw that she was a must for their children... When the first signs of teething appear, Sophie the Giraffe helps baby stop crying! By simple word of mouth, the little giraffe's fame spread.

Vulli, a company based in Rumilly in the French Alps has continued to keep the jealously-guarded secret of how this wonder toy is made. Sophie the giraffe is still "traditionally" produced to this day, a process that involves more than 14 manual operations. She is made from 100% natural rubber derived from the sap of the Hevea tree that grows in Malaysia. Every morning, before the daytime heat sets 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”. Latex is natural, elastic and water-resistant, acts as an insulator, is pleasant to the touch and smells nice. Vulli takes this latex, heats it, and then applies a special process and rotational moulding technique.

A celebrity baby hit, Sophie and her new friends ChanPieGnon are simply a must have baby toy!