Product of the Year USA Winners Revealed

The 5th annual Product of the Year USA awards ceremony, taking place at the Edison Ballroom in New York on Tuesday, Feb. 12, will pay tribute to the country’s most innovative consumer packaged goods of 2013, as chosen by 50,000 consumers. Special guest host Wendy Williams will take on emcee duties alongside top Chicago top comedians Kate James and Greg Mills.

“Every year, new products are introduced into the marketplace, and shoppers spend an extraordinary amount of time analyzing prices and features,” said Product of the Year USA managing director Colleen Kelly. “No other award out there looks at products the way we do, and our goal is to make it easier for consumers to choose the best of the best. Now in our 5th year in the United States and 26th year worldwide, the Product of the Year seal has proven to make brands stand out in the marketplace.”

This year’s 27 selected winners were unveiled on the cover of Parade magazine’s Feb. 10 issue. “Everyone is on the lookout for innovation and really great new ideas,” said Parade Editor-in-Chief Maggie Murphy. “The 2013 Product of the Year list provides a snapshot of America’s habits, tastes and trends, and shows how companies are reflecting what consumers want. Letting folks weigh in is just one more way of giving those consumers a seat at the table.”

Held in 32 countries, Product of the Year is the world’s largest consumer-voted program recognizing innovation. Recipients of the award are chosen by consumers nationwide in collaboration with London-based TNS, the world’s largest custom research agency, to determine the winners.

The 2013 winners in their respective categories are as follows:

• Skin Care: Abreva Conceal, GlaxoSmithKline Consumer Healthcare
• Pet Care: Adams Smart Shield Applicator, Central Garden and Pet
• Laundry Packs: All Mighty Pacs, Sun Products Corp.
• Oral Care: Aquafresh Extreme Clean Pure Breath Action Paste, GlaxoSmithKline Consumer Healthcare
• Paper Towel: Brawny Paper Towels, Georgia-Pacific
• Personal Hygiene: Dial Triple Moisture Body Wash, The Dial Corp., A Henkel Co.
• Tableware: Dixie Ultra, Georgia-Pacific
• Fruit Products: Dole Frozen Fruit Single-serve Cups, Dole Packaged Foods
• Vegetable: Farmer’s Garden by Vlasic, Pinnacle Foods
• Home Care: Finish Quantum with New Power Gel, Reckitt Benckiser
• Children’s Products: Goodnights Disposable Bed Mats, Kimberly-Clark Corp.
• Frozen Vegetables: Green Giant Seasoned Steamers, General Mills
• Frozen Entrees: Healthy Choice Baked Entrees, ConAgra Foods
• Frozen Smoothie: Dole Fruit Smoothie Shakers, Dole Packaged Foods
• Mouthwash: Listerine Ulatralcean Antiseptic Mouthwash, Johnson & Johnson McNeil PPC Inc.
• Snacks: M&M’s Brand Snack Mix, Mars Chocolate North America LLC
• Natural Sleep Aid: MidNight for Menopause, Meda Pharmaceuticals
• Candy: Nestlé Crunch Girl Scout Candy Bars - Nestlé USA
• Insect Repellent: Off! Bug Control Backyard Pretreat, SC Johnson
• Feminine Wellness: Poise Wellness Line, Kimberly-Clark Corp.
• Breakfast: Quaker Real Medleys Oatmeal, PepsiCo
• Bath Tissue: Quilted Northern Ultra Plush, Georgia-Pacific
• Stain Removal: Resolve All-Stains, Reckitt Benckiser
• Energy Drink: SK Energy Shots, SK Energy
• Home Appliance: SodaStream Revolution Home Soda Maker, SodaStream USA
• Liquid Laundry: Surf Liquid Laundry Detergent, Sun Products Corp.
• OTC Relief: Tums Freshers, GlaxoSmithKline Consumer Healthcare

Starting next month, shoppers will be able to find the winners easily by looking for the red Product of the Year seal on packaging, advertising and in-store displays.