TORONTO, February 24, 2021 – Product of the Year Canada, the largest consumer-voted award for product innovation, proudly announces the 27 winners of the 2021 Product of the Year Awards. Chosen by 4,000 Canadian shoppers in a national survey conducted by Kantar, a global leader in consumer research, each of the winning products has been awarded as the most innovative in their category by Product of the Year.
Consumer shopping behaviour has rapidly shifted in the past year, and the annual Product of the Year Awards provides a trusted resource to easily guide consumers to the best new products on the market. With heightened online purchasing and decreased sampling opportunities, Product of the Year helps shoppers quickly cut through the clutter to save time and money with their distinctive red seal.
“For all the obvious reasons, shoppers are spending less time in the supermarket than ever, but still crave new and innovative products to light up these difficult times. Because of this, we are more excited than ever to announce the 2021 Product of the Year winners and help shoppers find that ‘great new product’ when it matters most, however they do their shopping this year,” said Mike Nolan, Global CEO of Product of the Year Management. “What makes Product of the Year so trusted is our unique process, which gives shoppers the confidence that each product with our iconic red logo is backed by 4,000 Canadians. That’s a powerful advantage for our 2021 winners, as a Product of the Year Award positions them as THE innovative leader in their category.”
For over 30 years globally and 12 years in the Canada, Product of the Year has championed brands by awarding their highly coveted red seal to products that demonstrate innovation in their function, design, packaging, or ingredients. This year’s winning products reflect the trends and categories that everyday shoppers care about most as they spend more time at home – from the latest wellness products to beauty care, household items and the tastiest snacks.
Selected through a nationally representative study powered by Kantar, the 27 winners of the 2021 Product of the Year Award include:
• Beauty, Health and Wellness | BAND-AID® Brand SKIN-FLEX® Bandages Extra Large, 7 Count – Johnson & Johnson Inc.
• Bread | Bon Matin La mie de l’artisan Avoine – Bimbo Canada
• Breakfast Food | All-Day Breakfast Hash Brown Waffles – Cavendish Farms
• Chocolate – Bars | Cadbury Dairy Milk Oreo Bar 38g – Mondel?z Canada Inc.
• Chocolate – Minis | Kinder Bueno Mini – Ferrero Canada Ltd
• Coffee – Single-Serve Coffee Pods | Maxwell House 100% Compostable Single Serve Coffee Pods – Kraft Heinz Canada
• Dairy – Cheese | Boursin Fig & Balsamic – Fromageries Bel Canada Inc.
• Deli Meat | Longo’s Curato Italian Antipasto Party Pack Tray – Longo Brothers Fruit Markets Inc.
• Dishwasher | Whirlpool® Large Capacity Quiet Dishwasher with 3rd Rack – Whirlpool Canada
• Dressings & Sauces | Panache Turmeric and Black Pepper Dressing – Sobeys Inc.
• Face Moisturizer | NEUTROGENA® Bright Boost Gel Cream – Johnson & Johnson Inc.
• Frozen Dessert | Longo’s Pistachio Ice Cream – Longo Brothers Fruit Markets Inc.
• Gluten-Free | Longo’s Chickpea Veggie Burger – Longo Brothers Fruit Markets Inc.
• Household Product | Vim Refill EcoPack – Unilever
• Kitchenware | KitchenAid 5 Cup Cordless Food Chopper – Whirlpool Canada
• Lactose-Free | The Laughing Cow Lactose Free – Fromageries Bel Canada Inc.
• Large Appliance | Whirlpool® 36″ 4-Door Counter Depth Refrigerator – Whirlpool Canada
• Laundry Detergent | Persil Oxi Discs – Henkel Consumer Goods Canada
• Mascara | Air Volume Mega Mascara – L’Oréal Paris
• Mattress & Bed | Tempur-Pro Series – Tempur-Pedic
• Mattress in a box | Douglas – GoodMorning.com
• Skin care | NEUTROGENA® ULTRA SHEER® Face Mist SPF 50 – Johnson & Johnson Inc.
• Small Appliance | KitchenAid Cordless Hand Blender – Whirlpool Canada
• Snack Bars | Nature Valley Wafer Bar – General Mills
• Snacks | Angie’s BOOMCHICKAPOP® White Cheddar Puffs – Conagra Brands
• Tea | Tetley Super Teas – Tata Consumer Products
• Vitamins and Supplements | Centrum Multi+Probiotics – GSK
The 27 winners of the 2021 Product of the Year Awards will be celebrated in a virtual awards show, on March 4, 2021. This year’s event will also feature rare innovation insights from research partner Kantar and some of Canada’s most innovative retail and CPG 2021 award winners.
The 2021 Product of the Year winners will be highlighted nationally in a segment of The Morning Show on Global, on March 11 at 9:00 a.m., hosted by Carolyn MacKenzie and Jeff McArthur. In addition, the 2021 winners will be featured in a video pre-roll to run on GlobalTV app and ConnectedTV, across targeted content from some of Corus premium brands, such as Global Television, W Network, HGTV Canada, Food Network Canada, and Slice. Winning products will also receive coverage from EnsembleIQ, a premier business intelligence resource with revered publications, including Canadian Grocer, Pharmacy Practice+Business, and Convenience Store News Canada.
For further information about the 2021 Product of the Year winners, visit productoftheyear.ca and check out this year’s interactive winners page to learn more. Follow along on social media with #POYCanada2021 on Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter.
About Product of the Year:
Product of the Year is the largest consumer-voted award for product innovation. Established over 30 years ago, POY currently operates in over 45 countries with the same purpose: guide consumers to the best products in their market and reward manufacturers for quality and innovation. Product of the Year winners are backed by the votes of 4,000 consumers in a national representative study conducted by research partner Kantar, a global leader in consumer research. The award is a powerful merchandising program for marketers proven to increase product sales, distribution, and awareness. Winning products are announced in February each year and receive the right to use the Product of the Year logo in marketing communications for two years. For more information, visit productoftheyear.ca.
About Kantar:
Kantar is the world’s leading marketing data, insight, and consultancy company. We know more about how people live, feel, shop, vote, watch and post worldwide than any other company. Working across the entire sales and marketing lifecycle, we help brands uncover growth in an extraordinary world. Kantar is part of WPP and its services are employed by over half of the Fortune 500 companies in 100 countries.