Altoids have been around since, like, 1790. Barkleys have been around since 1996. This is the first I've heard of them, and that's likely because Altoids as a brand is almost as ubiquitous as the brand Velcro.
I read that some folks find them to be much stronger, so I'll have to look for some as well!
Altoids as a name have been around a long time, but they have been just candy ever since Mars bought them. They aren't even made or marketed in the UK anymore.