Web Wispa-ing campaign helps bring back a chocolate classic

Production ceased in 2003 after sales declined, but recently there has been a clamour on social networking websites such as Facebook and MySpace demanding its return.

Some fans posted short films extolling the virtues of the snack on YouTube.

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And in June two even took to the stage during Iggy Pop's set at the Glastonbury festival and held up a banner saying: "Bring back Wispa."

Now Cadbury is to do just that, saying it is the first time it has restarted production of a product because of online pressure.

The company will produce an initial run of 23 million of the bars from October 7 to test the market.

The Wispa bar first appeared in 1981 for a trial in the North-East. Seen by many as a rival to Nestle's Aero, it had the slogan "Bite it and believe it".

The trial was a massive success, selling 10,000 bars, and in 1983 it was launched nationwide with an advertising campaign featuring pairs of celebrities from well-known TV shows.

They included Yes Minister's Paul Eddington and Nigel Hawthorne, Victoria Wood and Julie Walters, The Sweeney's John Thaw and Dennis Waterman, and Hi De Hi's Simon Cadell and Ruth Madoc.

The bar's popularity began to wane in the 1990s and it was ditched in 2003. But diehard fans demanded its return. Websites and blogs were set up and the introduction of social networking sites enabled the movement to gain even wider publicity.

Cadbury spokesman Tony Bilsborough said: "We have been bowled over by the overwhelming online demand to bring back Wispa. The consumer passion has undeniably swayed our opinion."

While the original bar cost 16p - 1p less than a Mars Bar - the new version will be 42p.

It is not the first time the internet has been used to help bring back a much-loved snack.

Golden Wonder started making cheese-and-onion Ringos again after an online petition attracted 12,000 signatures.

The same company also reintroduced scampi-and-lemon flavour Nik Naks due to popular demand.

Walkers stopped making its Worcester Sauce flavour crisps in January last year after poor sales but they were brought back last month.

And Golden Nuggets, a popular breakfast cereal from the early 1970s, was resurrected in 1999 with a £1 million advertising campaign.