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.
behind the scenes of a success story
A toy made from 100% natural rubber
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The latex from the hevea tree was first processed in 1928 using the vulcanization technique invented by Mr. Charles Goodyear.
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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”.
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This latex is natural, soft, elastic, waterproof, insulating and pleasant to the smell and touch.
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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.
A UNIQUE PRODUCT, PRODUCED ACCORDING TO EXCEPTIONAL HIGH QUALITY STANDARDS
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The Vulli company has always placed the quality of its products at the heart of its concerns.
For over fifty years, consumers have placed their trust in us and we do our utmost to satisfy them.
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All of our products sold worldwide comply with European and global legislated standards. As such, Vulli provides its clients with products that comply with the very highest requirements. Regardless of the regulations in force in the country where they are sold, the same products are sold worldwide, meeting the most stringent legislation in all areas. Vulli has only one requirement, namely, providing the very best to our customers.
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We have even gone one step further in maintaining the quality of Sophie la Girafe®. Since July 2011, each Sophie la Girafe® produced has her lot number printed on the back of a leg, enabling full product traceability (production date and relevant laboratory analysis).
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Each number corresponds to a batch tested by an approved laboratory and certifies its compliance with European and international standards. In case of doubt, health authorities can access these analytical reports. Moreover, we believe that we are the only toy manufacturer worldwide to offer such a high level of batch traceability, and therefore a high safety level for our consumers.
