5 Companies That ‘Brought it Back’

If at first you don't succeed well, try doing what made you a success in the
first place. Bringin it Back appears be the motto of an increasing number of
companies given the state of the economy, that's not a surprise. But going
back to one's roots is not easy and is no guarantee of success. Walt Disney
's (NYSE: DIS ) ABC network just canceled "Charlie's Angels, which was one
of the most iconic TV series of the 1970s and should have been left there. And
Sears Holdings (NASDAQ: SHLD ) Kmart brought back blue-light specials in 2009
after an 18-year absence, and that hasnt done much to turn things around while
same-store sales rose 0.7% in 2010, Kmart's same-store sales fell 1.7% in the
first quarter and were flat in Q2. Still, its difficult to ignore the temptation
to retry something that worked before. MySpaces new owners are trying to
rekindle the once-explosive social networks success , and heck, someone is even
trying to bring back the DeLorean a success as a pop culture icon thanks to
Back to the Future but a business failure. These five companies couldnt resist
and have either succeeded or are waiting for the payoff as they try to bring it
back: Wendys The Wendy's (NYSE: WEN ) hamburger chain has struggled in the
years since the 2002 death of founder Dave Thomas, who became a celebrity from
his time as the company's TV pitchman. When billionaire Nelson Peltz acquired
the chain in 2008 , Wendys stock had shed almost three-fourths of its 2012
value, and it dropped another 25% from that point through this year. To help
revitalize the company, Wendys is invoking the name of its late founder. Last
month, Wendys rolled out its new burger , dubbed Daves Hot and Juicy. And while
the burgers moniker is a throwback to a much better time, the sandwich is a
complete revamping of a decades-old recipe. Wendy's sweated every detail of
the burger, which features a bigger patty, buttered bun and extra cheese. USA
TODAY even pointed out that the company consulted a "pickle chemist."
Whether the new burger will help boost Wendy's bottom line is not clear.