Until 1990, the Snickers bar was sold in the United Kingdom under the name Marathon.
The chocolate bar was created by Mars in the United States in 1930 and named after the Mars family's favorite horse, Snickers. When the product reached the UK in 1968, Mars used the name Marathon instead. The UK branding continued for more than two decades.
Mars changed the name to Snickers in 1990 to make the brand consistent across international markets. The change confused and disappointed many British consumers, who had grown up with Marathon wrappers and advertisements. The bar's recipe remained essentially the same: nougat topped with caramel and peanuts, covered in milk chocolate.
A common mix-up is confusing this Marathon with other confectionery products that used the same name, including an unrelated American bar sold during the 1970s. In the UK, however, Marathon was specifically the former name of today's Snickers.