Since its creation in 1961, Sophie la girafe has sold more than 60 million copies around the world. In the program “La France moved”, Europe 1 looked at this timeless French success born at the foot of the Alps, which owes nothing to chance.
The figures are dizzying: exported to 85 countries, the legendary Sophie the Giraffe has sold more than 60 million copies since her birth one day in May 1961. Before the 60th anniversary of this toy well known to young parents, Europe 1 retraced the stages of this never-denied success in the show France is moving with Élisabeth Assayag and Emmanuel Duteil.
It all started in Rumilly, in Haute-Savoie. In this town of 15,000 inhabitants at the foot of the Alps, there are neither famous singers nor famous politicians. No personality, except an exotic animal from the giraffidae family whose name is not due to chance. “Born on May 25, 1961, Sophie the giraffe went into production on Saint Sophie’s Day,” says Stéphanie Arnaud, deputy general director of Vulli, the company that manufactures the giraffe.
The five senses engaged
If the giraffe hasn’t aged a bit, the babies haven’t spared her: they carry her everywhere and above all, they eat her. His paws and neck are chewed on all day long. There’s no need to panic though, because Sophie is made from the sap of the rubber tree and is therefore made of rubber.
The famous giraffe has a target, which are children between 0 and 18 months, for a very particular reason: “It was designed to awaken the baby’s five senses”, explains the manager. “The brown spots on its white body allow the little one to be seen. Then, there is its famous ‘squeak’ which will awaken the baby’s hearing. To touch it, its large neck, its large paws and all the The chewed parts will soothe baby during teething. Finally, the very particular smell will stimulate baby’s sense of smell, who will recognize Sophie the giraffe among all her other toys.”
As many Sophies as births
The company does not communicate its sales figures, but it is a true French success. It is also a global success, with 50% of turnover generated internationally. The United States is the second largest toy market, after France. “There are personalities from all over the world who are offered Sophie the Giraffe like Cara Delevingne, Elton John, Uma Thurman, Kim Kardashian or Sandra Bullock,” relates Stéphanie Arnaud.
Today, a whole range of products has been developed around Sophie the giraffe: play mats, bibs, rattles, bath towels. And the craze continues unabated. Each year, as many Sophies are sold as there are births in France.
Source: Europe1
I am a journalist who writes about economics and business. I have worked in the news industry for over 5 years, most recently as an author at Global Happenings. My work has focused on covering the economy news, and I have written extensively on topics such as unemployment rates, housing prices, and the financial crisis. I am also an avid reader and have been known to write about books that interest me.
