 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.
"Toys 'R Us Jingle"
I
don't want to grow up, I'm a Toys' R Us kid
There's a million toys at Toys 'R Us that I can
play with!
From bikes, to trains, to video games,
It's the biggest toy store there is! Gee whiz!
I don't want to grow, cuz baby if I did,
I wouldn't be a Toys 'R Us kid!
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. Lazuras later
changed the store's name to Toys "R" Us. Their corporate address is
Toys"R"Us, Inc. Headquarters, One Geoffrey Way, Wayne, NJ 07470-2030.
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 Toys "R" Us corporate mascot was later turned into animatronic character
for TV spots. It was created by legendary movie creature expert Stan Winston.
Geoffrey's voice was provided by Jim Hanks, the brother of actor Tom
Hanks.
External Links
Back to Top |
