Mars is relaunching yet another retro brand in April, with the comeback of 1980s kids’ line Galaxy Counters.

The product will be initially launched in a pouch format and is to be a permanent line.

It is being repositioned as a more premium brand, targeting mainly adult females, and the numbers found on the original version – launched in 1967 – are absent from the reincarnation. The line is similar to Minstrels but does not have the crispy shell.

The move is part of Mars’ continuing focus on bite-size pouches, which the company said were growing ahead of the rest of the chocolate market.

Milky Way Magic Stars is also going into the sharing format next month, meaning all Mars’ bite-size lines will available in pouches.

The company is backing the bite-size market with a £16.5m investment in 2010, including its TV sponsorship of Harry Hill’s TV Burp and the new Ant and Dec series Push The Button.

An on-pack tie-up with movie rental business Blockbuster kicks off in July as part of Mars’ Big Night In promotional push. That replaces its four-year cinema ticket promotion, which trade relations manager Bep Sandhu said was because more people were choosing to save money and watch movies at home.

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