Reviving an Old Brand = Nostalgia Driven Profit Bringing back a well-known brand can save millions in upfront marketing, while the name recognition captures attention in a crowded marketplace.

Ellia Kassoff was in line at a bagel shop last year when a woman behind him began screaming at the top of her lungs. When he turned, he saw the woman, who looked to be about 50 years old, jumping up and down, pointing at him. "Oh my god, where did you get that shirt? That's my favorite candy!" she shouted. It took Kassoff a moment to remember he was wearing an Astro Pops T-shirt. "Oh, I make them," he said of the candies. He got a box of Astro Pops out of his car and gave it to the woman, along with his business card. "You have no idea how important this candy is in my life," she told him.

That's just one of dozens of stories Kassoff, CEO of Newport Coast, Calif.-based Leaf Brands, has to tell about reactions to his revival of Astro Pops, the rocket-shape suckers introduced in 1963 and discontinued a decade ago.