Simply looking at the fluorescent hues of the rainbow splashed across an image of a friendly doe-eyed animal instantly transports me to childhood.  The cycle of back-to-school shopping and begging my mom to purchase all the supplies that were adorned with glitter and bright colors– and most of all, anything by Lisa Frank.  Frank’s backpacks, stickers, and folders were the sole desire of every pre-teen girl growing up in the late 90s and very early 2000s. I can still vividly remember completing assignments at elementary school and stuffing them into my magenta, periwinkle, and teal colored unicorn folder, thinking to myself that this folder was pretty much the coolest thing on the planet. Lisa Frank makes me nostalgic for the simple days of elementary school and the thrill of getting new supplies every August.

Years later, Lisa Frank seems to have essentially vanished from the face of the earth– not even leaving a faint rainbow trail in her wake.  However, right as any hope for a revival seemed fleeting, popular retailer Urban Outfitters released stationary and apparel with Frank’s signature designs for a limited time in 2013. But, nothing gold can stay, and again all thoughts of using her vivid school supplies were swept up just as fast as the goods.

Yet, it seems not everyone is done with Lisa Frank and her giddy and glorified rainbow cartoons.  Recently while scrolling through Twitter, I came across an article by the Huffington Post citing a rebirth of Frank’s designs.  Anxious to read more, I discovered the article focused on a Tumblr blog that revitalized Frank’s original artwork with feminist quotes attached to them.  So now this innocent, vibrant artwork is being used for a cause– women’s rights.

What once signified the start of a new year at elementary school and a deep desire to have something enticing to distract myself with in class, has now become a new platform for the fourth wave of feminism.  If that isn’t utilizing a brand to grow with the consumer base, I don’t know what is then.

Check out some of the feminist artwork on the link:http://feministlisafrank.tumblr.com

Sources: pinterest.com for the photo; feministlisafrank.tumblr.com; Huffington Post:

Gray, Emma. “‘Feminist Lisa Frank’ Is Fighting The Patriarchy With Rainbow Kittens.” The Huffington Post. TheHuffingtonPost.com, 11 May 2015. Web. <http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2015/05/11/feminist-lisa-frank-fights-patriarchy-with-rainbow-kittens_n_7257768.html?ncid=tweetlnkushpmg00000067>