The last packets of Opal Fruits sweets are disappearing from the shelves of British shops forever.

Not because they have been discontinued, but because the manufacturers, Mars, have decided the sweets should be called the same name in Britain as they are in the rest of the world, Starburst.

Opal Fruits is not the first famous British brand name that Mars has axed in favour of a more internationally better-known one.

Marathon became the less athletic-sounding Snickers a few years ago. The changes are part of a trend towards what has been called global branding.

One product, one name

But why would a company throw away a brand name it has spent millions of pounds, and in the case of Opal Fruits nearly 40 years, to establish in the public's mind.

Although Mars is spending £10m to publicise the Opal Fruits' name change it hopes to ultimately save money from uniting the sweets under the Starburst name.