Product of the Year USA 2018 Award Winners Revealed

Product of the Year USA, the world’s largest consumer-voted award for product innovation, has revealed the winners of the 2018 Product of the Year Awards. The 31 winners received their awards at the annual Product of the Year Awards Show, held Feb. 8 at the Edison Ballroom in New York, in partnership with women’s lifestyle digital outlet SHEfinds, and hosted by comedians Rachel Dratch and Ana Gasteyer.

“Product of the year answers an essential question – ‘How do I find great new products – with so many launches, so many claims, how do you find the best?’” noted Mike Nolan, CEO of New York-based Product of the Year USA. “This year, a record number of products entered to compete for the winning spot in their respective categories. With the help of 40,000 consumers nationwide, we are excited to champion these winners as they have achieved that validation. Product of the Year’s distinctive red seal of approval continues to help shoppers find the best new products on the shelves and give the winners a well-earned competitive advantage.”

Each year, Product of the Year accepts entries from new consumer products launched within the previous year that demonstrate advancement within their industry. Categories include beauty, personal care, household essentials, car care, food and beverages, pet care, and are evaluated on seven key measures. One product is named the winner of each category, based on the results of the consumer study.

This year’s winners are as follows:

• Air Care: Febreze ONE – Procter & Gamble
• Bakery: Duncan Hines Perfect Size for 1 – Pinnacle Foods
• Beauty: Schwarzkopf Gliss Ultimate Repair Anti-Damage Mask – Henkel
• Beer: Heineken Coolerpack – Heineken USA
• Better-For-You Snack: Aldi Elevation by Millville High Protein Bars – Aldi Inc.
• Breakfast: Sandwich Bros. Breakfast Sandwiches – Sandwich Bros. of Wisconsin
• Candy Bar: Oreo Chocolate Candy Bar – Mondelez International
• Car Care: Valvoline Easy Pour Bottle – Valvoline
• Convenience Meal: Imagine Super Soups – Hain Celestial
• Cooking: Copper Chef Deep Square Pan – Tristar Products Inc.
• Dish Care: Cascade Platinum – Procter & Gamble
• Dishwasher Cleaner: Cascade Platinum Dishwasher Cleaner – Procter & Gamble
• Feminine Care: U by Kotex Fitness – Kimberly-Clark
• First Aid: Curad SoothePLUS – Medline Industries Inc.
• Frozen Entrée: Cooked Perfect Fire Grilled Chicken – Home Market Foods
• Frozen Side: Green Giant Veggie Tots – B&G Foods
• Health & Wellness: Pure Protein Super Food – The Nature’s Bounty Co.
• Home Cleaning: Purell Multi Surface Disinfectant – Gojo Industries Inc.
• Ice Cream: Skinny Cow High Protein Packed Low Fat Ice Cream – Nestlé
• Laundry Booster: Purex Crystals Botanicals – Henkel
• Laundry Pacs: Tide Pods Plus Downy – Procter & Gamble
• Liquid Laundry: Gain Botanicals – Procter & Gamble
• Men’s Hair Care: Just For Men Control GX – Combe
• Pain Relief: PROcure Epsom Salt Gel – Profoot Inc.
• Personal Care: Nature by Canus Fresh Canadian Goat Milk Soap – Canus
• Pet Care: Turtle Wax Power Out! Carpet & Mats Heavy Duty Cleaner – Turtle Wax
• Ready-to-Drink Cocktail: Smirnoff Spiked Sparkling Seltzer – Diageo
• Snack Cup: Aldi Friendly Farms Greek Yogurt Tilts – Aldi Inc.
• Spreads: Aldi Little Salad Bar Guacamole – Aldi Inc.
• Sugar Confections: Toffifay – Storck USA
• Women’s Grooming: Finishing Touch Flawless – Ideavillage Products Corp.

The awards show was followed by a Heineken-sponsored after-party.

For more than 30 years globally, and 10 in the United States, Product of the Year has guided consumers to the best products in their respective markets by recognizing companies for quality and product innovation. A national study of 40,000 consumers conducted by consumer research company Kantar TNS, part of London-based Kantar, determines the Product of the Year USA winners annually, with the aim of helping shoppers best identify the top new consumer products. Winning products are revealed in February each year and receive the right to use the Product of the Year logo in marketing communications for two years. POY currently operates in 40-plus countries.