Nestlé to cash in on retro trend with Drifter return

Nestl矩s cashing in on the current trend for nostalgia confectionery with the relaunch of its Drifter brand. It comes just months after Cadburys bought back the Wispa bar.

Nestlé is cashing in on the current trend for “nostalgia” confectionery with the relaunch of its Drifter brand. It comes just months after Cadbury’s bought back the Wispa bar.

Drifter, which was scrapped last year, will be reintroduced next week. Sources say Nestlé is planning to support the brand with a campaign similar to Cadbury’s long copy print ad for Wispa, which stirred up sentimentality for the brand by reminiscing about other products that has been launched at the same time.

Nestlé confirms that the brand is returning to the impulse category but denies it is planning to support the brand because “it is not a relaunch”.

One source says that Nestlé is keen to build on the retro brand trend and dismisses it as a “copy cat” strategy but he adds that Nestlé has also “realised it was a mistake” to scrap the product in the first place.

Cadbury reintroduced the Wispa brand last year, claiming that it has caved into pressure from a Facebook group demanding its return.

The confectionery company has now bought it back as a permanent line, despite it being axed in 2003 due to plummeting sales.

Mars is also looking to join the trend with the decision to relaunch Starburst as Opal Fruits as a three-month limited edition. Opal Fruits were rebranded as Starburst in 1997 to bring the UK in line with Mars’ international brands. It has also registered Marathon as a trademark, leading to speculation that it plans to replace Snickers, also as a limited edition.