Although they might be as far from culinary sophistication as it is possible to imagine, nostalgia has caused the brands to make a comeback.
Premier Foods is relaunching the dried mashed potato product Smash with a new, healthier recipe and new flavours.
It will join other retro brands such as Cinzano, Mateus Rose and Blue Nun, seen as naff for several decades, which are now enjoying a resurgence.
A report by trade magazine The Grocer found that people between the ages of 30 and 45 have a sentimental fondness for brands of their childhood.
"Manufacturers have recognised that trades are cyclical and there is a gap in the market for old favourites.
"Moreover, there is an opportunity to improve on those old favourites -- whether by enhancing the product itself or its image," the report said.
Affection for retro television programmes like 'The A-Team' has extended to the revival of Brut and Harmony hairspray, and now to the food this age group remembers eating as children.
Another reason for the comeback could be the iconic ads, including the long-running Smash ads featuring the cackling Martians, which were created by John Webster while he was at what was Boase Massimi Pollitt (now DDB London).
In some cases, manufacturers have linked retro fads to their product explicitly. Fox's confectionery is bringing back the 1980s toffee sweet Poppets with branding incorporating Space Hoppers and Rubik's cubes.
In some cases, brands can be resold to a younger generation not aware of the negative image it held previously.
This could be the thinking behind relaunching Cinzano with a new product, Cinzano SprittzUp!, aimed at young women who have not tried it before.
In July, Premier Foods bought several of Campbell's brands in the UK for 拢460m including Oxo, Batchelors and Fray Bentos.
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