Isabelle and Cecile
Life Instyle sat down with Isabelle and Cecile, the dynamic duo behind Sophie la girafe, discussing their well-designed, high-quality new natural rubber teethers: the Millefeuille teething ring, the Fragrance ring, and the 3 Musical Balls. These products are designed around universal values, such as naturalness and child development, and promoting family happiness.
Can you share details about any new product launches your brand will be showcasing at Life Instyle Sydney 2024? What makes these products unique or innovative?
As the Australian distributor of French company Vulli’s famous Sophie la girafe products, we’ll be excited to introduce three new natural rubber teethers: the Millefeuille teething ring, the Fragrance ring and the 3 Musical Balls.
The different sizes of the leaves of the Millefeuille teething ring effectively massage the gums of baby at the time of the first tooth growths (incisors) or for the later ones (molars or canines).
With the Fragrance ring, baby discovers and awakens his sense of smell thanks to the natural scented rubber. Easy to grasp, the scent ring is composed of 3 medallions with the delicate sweet smell of vanilla, strawberry and coconut.
With the 3 musical balls baby develops his auditory sense and discovers and understands the notion of cause and effect.
Could you provide insights into the inspiration behind the development of your latest products? How do they align with your brand's overall vision and values?
These 3 new products are made of 100% natural rubber and high-quality natural pigments, like the original Sophie la girafe. They also stimulate the senses of Babies from the age of 3 months (taste and touch of the natural rubber, smell of the scents and hearing with the sound of the balls). These products, like the original Sophie, are natural and designed to help baby get a happy and healthy start on life. That’s what we live for at Les Folies!
How has your brand evolved since its inception, and what milestones have you achieved along the way?
We started distributing the brand here in Australia 17 years ago. We started small, importing and stocking the stock in our garages! We left products on consignment and attended all the fairs to promote our beloved giraffe. Sophie la girafe products are now available all over Australia in baby shops, toy shops, gift shops, pharmacies, florists, newsagencies, etc. 17 years later, we are still very grateful to have been representing the brand here in Australia. We celebrated Sophie’s 50th anniversary, Sophie’s 60th anniversary and also met the French president!
Making of Sophie
Tell us more about your brand's background and founders. What motivated them to start the brand, and how has the journey been so far?
The first Sophie la girafe went into production on May 25th 1961 in Paris (on St Sophie’s day, hence the origin of her name!). Monsieur Rampeau, the specialist in transforming the latex from the Hevea tree using the rotational moulding of rubber as a toy-making concept, had the idea to design a giraffe. She was an immediate success, with her charmingly chewable shape, soothing colours and scent and irresistible squeak. By simple word of mouth, the little giraffe’s fame spread. Adored by French families, Sophie la girafe is now an international brand, exported to more than 85 countries. To this day, Sophie la girafe is still handmade at Vulli headquarters in the foothills of the French Alps.
There’s a great video showing how Sophie is made, on their website here.
Can you highlight any specific challenges your brand has faced in the industry and how you've overcome them?
Competition has been one the challenges Sophie la girafe has faced. Not only in Australia but all around the world. New teething toys appear on the market all the time. But Sophie la girafe is unique. She is easy to grip, soft and chewy all over and babies love to put her legs in their mouth so they can chew the entire length of their gum bed.
Despite being born in 1961, Sophie la girafe has not aged in the slightest. She is is timeless and intergenerational. With over 70 million units sold, she is a must-have item that enjoys genuine affection from parents, grandparents and children around the world. Soon we’ll be meeting Australian parents that had one of our Sophies as a baby!
What strategies do you employ to stay ahead of industry trends and maintain a competitive edge in the market?
Vulli has always paid the greatest attention to the quality and safety of its products. Each Sophie la girafe produced has a batch number on one of its legs which allows a complete traceability of the product. Each number corresponds to a batch tested in an approved laboratory and attests to its conformity with the strictest European and worldwide standards. Vulli is one of the few toy manufacturers in the world to offer such product traceability and therefore such a high level of safety for our consumers.
Vulli’s mission is to make products that are not only adored by little ones but are also memorable for the gift bearers themselves. Their toys are both aesthetically pleasing and safe. They strive to offer the highest level of quality and safety to all their consumers worldwide. They are as great to give as they are to use because they are designed around universal values, such as naturalness and child development, and family happiness.
Looking into the future, what are your brand's long-term goals and aspirations?
One of Vulli’s long term goal is sustainability. Resolutely pioneering and visionary, Sophie la girafe did not wait for natural products to be at the heart of consumers' concerns before embodying them (the rubber used to make Sophie comes from the Hevea tree growing in sustainable forests). The Vulli company is very conscious of ecology and sustainable development issues. Sustainable development is at the heart of the positioning of their products.
Vulli’s core value is doing things right and doing them wholeheartedly!
Are there any upcoming plans or projects in the pipeline for your brand? Can you share insights into what the audience can expect from your brand in the coming years?
We have a very exciting collaboration coming up in a couple of months with a famous international clothing brand… Stay tuned!
