OUR HISTORY
Les Frogs was originally created with a lifestyle Brand in mind. The first designs introduced several characters, including sporty frogs along with fun frogs. These worked very well with adult and children’s clothing, footwear, bedding etc.
The Start
LesFrogs was created in 1992, born from a simple idea by myself, Lyn Smith, a dedicated frog memorabilia collector.
The original logo was designed by my daughter, Michelle.
Soon after, I employed a character artist who created the first six frog characters: Nudy, Golf, Cricket, Football, Fisherman, and Tennis.
The first merchandise was sold through representatives into independent clubs and businesses, often personalized with company or club names.
Early Growth
Within six months of trading, more characters were introduced as restaurants, pubs, and clubs showed significant interest.
We then made the decision to open a small LesFrogs shop at Liverpool Docks, which traded successfully—especially on weekends.
The shop's bright and vibrant atmosphere caught the attention of the Concessions Director at Lewis’s, who offered us the opportunity to take space in their department stores.
Retail Expansion
We accepted this offer and launched in the Liverpool and Leeds branches.
Within just three months, sales exceeded expectations, and the remaining 11 stores were offered to us for expansion.
However, this expansion didn't proceed, as LesFrogs was soon offered a chance to supply Marks & Spencer.
I spent six months collaborating with their designers to develop a well-designed children’s clothing range.
Upon launch, the range performed exceptionally—ranking first and second in sales. This success led to an expanded line, including stationery and adult casual wear.
Licensing Success
As momentum grew, other retailers expressed interest.
Soon, LesFrogs had licensing agreements with Littlewoods, GUS, House of Fraser and Lewis’s.
In total, there were seven active licenses, which included Stationery, Towels & Bedding, Shoes, Pottery and Sports Bags.
All licenses were issued on three-year contracts, and I worked closely with each licensee.
Royalty payments varied depending on the product type.
The licensees were pleased with the sales. As renewal time approached, I was invited to a meeting with Celador—the producers of Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?
The Celador Opportunity
The Marketing Director at Celador was well aware of LesFrogs' success.
They had a global marketing team who had recently completed a successful international game project related to their TV show. Now, they were looking to expand five selected brands worldwide—LesFrogs being one of them.
We were offered a deal: a master license would be given to Celador for worldwide brand management.
This was a huge opportunity. I consulted with my legal team and the licensees whose contracts were nearing renewal. This led to a formal meeting at the LesFrogs office in Wilmslow.
Twelve people attended the meeting, including our bank manager, our accountant, several licensees and three representatives from Celador.
They delivered an amazing presentation. Afterward, I called for a show of hands—every hand went up.
It was clear: we were moving forward.
Setback
The next day, BBC TV visited our office to interview me—although no contract had yet been signed.
There was already excellent PR online, and everything seemed extremely positive.
I spent the next few months working in London with the Celador marketing team.
Suddenly, progress slowed. Excuses began surfacing, which created significant problems—especially as licensees were eager to renew.
Then, out of the blue, I was informed that the Marketing Director had left Celador.
Shortly after, I learned that Celador had sold the company holding the LesFrogs license.
This resulted in a massive financial and opportunity loss. After nine months, a solicitor managed to get the licensing agreement annulled, but LesFrogs had already lost approximately £1 million.
A Further Blow
Just two weeks before attending arbitration in London to recover losses, I received a knock on the door at 7:15 AM from several government personnel questioning my credibility.
It turned out I had been targeted by a damaging blog, which had also affected many other local businesses.
Despite trying for two years to clear my name, I was unsuccessful. At the time, I was unable to move forward personally or financially.
A New Chapter
Four years ago, I joined a networking group and shared my story.
Many people remembered the LesFrogs brand.
With their encouragement and support, I was able to prove the brand still works—both with original characters and new designs added to the lineup.
The Opportunity
I am now looking for an entrepreneur to take the LesFrogs brand back into the retail marketplace and hopefully achieve the success it enjoyed for over 25 years.
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