After surviving the Holocaust and writing a successful tell-all diary, Lisa Frank decided to branch out into the world of children’s merchandising. Realizing that the sale of children is frowned upon in many parts of the world, she refocused her efforts on selling products that children would like to buy if they had a work ethic and money.
Frank launched her franchise, Lisa Frank in 1979 after a wholesome night of LSD consumption. What came out of the other side of this delicious haze were two counts of 
assault and some of the brightest coloured animal-themed stickers ever unleashed on the world.
In the 1980s, Lisa Frank became a household name through its production of school supplies – including pencils, notebooks, and binders – that were marketed toward young girls and approximately twenty-percent of young boys.
This marketing campaign to induce children into thinking they wanted brightly coloured objects 
was so successful that writing in a Lisa Frank notebook with a Lisa Frank pencil – with its eraser rendered useless by decorative rubber, a symbolic representation of the success of capitalism during the decline of Communism and the Cold War – became a fashion statement.
Seizing this newly-found ‘fashion’ idea, Frank decided to test the waters of its comically oversized sweater market. A true visionary, Frank’s endeavour was a success, as can be seen in the ad on the left, in which two young girls and a handsome young boy model Frank’s lively sweaters.
While Frank’s entrepreneurial spirit is a big part of her success, some of her popularity and her company’s longevity can also be chalked up to the delightful cast of characters she created, which appeared on sweaters and stationery across the free world. Some of her most famous characters include:
- Rainbow-coloured unicorn
Thanks, Lisa Frank. Your valuable contribution to our society – which some may mischaracterize as a ‘cash grab’ – and the physical pain of my school years will neither be forgotten nor go unnoticed.
I try to forget, I really do… But… I… just…
Rating: 
