Geoffrey
Giraffe - Spokes-animal for the "Toys 'R Us"
nationwide chain-store. Geoffrey began appearing on TV in the early 1970s
plugging children's toys in anticipation of the Christmas rush. Geoffrey's
character is brought to life by an actor who wears a two-legged giraffe
costume with a seven-feet-tall neck. In recent years, he teamed with such
new characters as Gigi, his wife; Baby Gee, his daughter; and his son,
Junior. Geoffrey and family don't sell particular products but only
represent the store as a whole. Neither do the characters talk. They only
pantomime their commercial roles. Charles Lazarus founded Toys 'R Us when
he returned home from World War II where he had served as a cryptologist.
His store was originally called "Children's Supermart." The R's in his
company name were reversed to increase recognition of his store. He later
changed the store's name to Toys 'R Us, keeping the letter "R" reversed.
Toys 'R Us carries all major toy lines including those manufactured by
Hasbro, Mattel, Coleco Industries, Kenner/Parker Brother Toys and Fischer
Price Toys. The new
animatronic Geoffrey, created by legendary movie creature expert Stan
Winston, features the "distinctive, witty voice" of Jim Hanks,
brother of actor Tom Hanks.
