Product of the Year (POY) is the only consumer product award that rewards innovation and is voted on by consumers. POY works with big and small manufacturers around the world and each year, in the nation’s largest study on innovation conducted by TNS (the world’s largest research firm), 60,000 American consumers pick the winning products in various CPG categories. It is not quite a typical award; contrarily, it’s a marketing program that has proven to drive sales. In the ‘tough’ economic conditions, consumers have become very hesitant to deviate from their familiar regularly-purchased products, and the approval of 60,000 people gives them the confidence to spend their time and money to actually try the new and innovative products.

Here is a list of the winners of the Product of the Year 2012!

1. PET TREATS

Milk-Bone® Mini’s Dog Treats

Del Monte Foods

For over 100 years, Milk-Bone® has made high-quality, wholesome snacks that dogs love. Since

dog owners have become more focused on their dog’s health and treating routines, Milk-Bone®

has launched new Milk-Bone® Mini’s. These 5-calorie miniature biscuits have all the vitamin-

enriched, tasty goodness as Original Milk-Bone® in a miniature size. Perfect for training, weight

control, and all your special treating moments, so you can feel good giving more often.

Price: $3.09

2. PET HEALTH

Better Than® Bones Plus Dental

Ainsworth Pet Nutrition

New Better Than® Bones Plus Dental Care is the deliciously safe and healthy alternative to real

dog bones. These premium dog chews are highly digestible and won’t splinter, crack, or make a

mess like real bones do. Plus, they’re formulated with calcium to help support strong teeth, and a

tough texture and baking soda to help keep your dog’s gums healthy!

Price: $3.99

3. LAUNDRY

Wisk® Deep Clean™ Original

The Sun Products Corp.

Body oils and sweat, the #1 soil in your laundry, can stay trapped in your clothes even after

washing. Wisk® Deep Clean™ penetrates deep inside the fabric, cleaning beyond visible stains,

to seek out and attack trapped body oils and sweat.

Price: $6.99

4. PERSONAL HYGIENE

Softsoap® Bar Soap Coconut Scrub

Colgate-Palmolive Co.

Renew your skin with Softsoap® brand Coconut Scrub bar soap. Enriched with crushed coconut

extract, this bar soap gently exfoliates to renew your skin’s surface, while helping retain natural

moisture for soft, supple skin.

Price: $3.99

5. ORAL CARE

LISTERINE® TOTAL CARE ZERO

Johnson & Johnson, Inc.

Introducing new LISTERINE® TOTAL CARE ZERO – LISTERINE®’s most complete mouthwash

now with less intensity and zero alcohol. LISTERINE® TOTAL CARE ZERO delivers six healthy

mouth benefits including preventing cavities, restoring enamel, strengthening teeth, freshening

breath, killing bad breath germs and cleaning the whole mouth – all with a less intense flavor that

people crave! LISTERINE® Total Care Zero provides another great zero alcohol option for

mouthwash users from the #1 dentist-recommended mouthwash brand.

Price: $5.29 (500 mL)

6. PROFESSIONAL ORAL CARE

Zoom NiteWhite & DayWhite

Philips Oral Healthcare

To help you get your whitest smile, NiteWhite ACP and DayWhite ACP are the only take-home

whiteners that contain ACP. Amorphous Calcium Phosphate reduces sensitivity, rebuilds enamel,

reduces fadeback, and improves luster, thereby increasing patient comfort and satisfaction.

NiteWhite ACP is made with carbamide peroxide for overnight wear. DayWhite ACP is made with

hydrogen peroxide and carbamide peroxide equivalent for a short 15-30 minute, day wear

treatment.

Price: $250

7. WHITENING

Colgate® Optic White

Colgate-Palmolive Co.

NOT ALL WHITENING TOOTHPASTES ARE CREATED EQUAL, NEW Colgate® Optic White™

toothpaste whitens teeth from the inside out! Colgate® Optic White’s unique technology features

Hydrogen Peroxide – the same whitening ingredient as strips*. Whiter teeth in one week, and you

will continue to see the benefits with each week of daily use. Colgate® Optic White™ is enamel-

safe, and its Sparkling Mint® flavor helps to freshen breath. *with gentler 1% hydrogen peroxide

concentration

Price: $3.79

8. BEAUTY CARE

Clairol® Nice ‘n Easy Color Blend Foam

Procter & Gamble

At-home permanent hair color in foam formula. The product is drip-free, mess-free and the foam

form allows for more product to work with, making it easy to spread for even coverage.

Price: $8.99

9. BABY CARE

HUGGIES® Little Movers Slip-on Diapers

Kimberly-Clark Co.

This is the diaper that changes everything. For squirmy babies who love to kick and roll at

changing time… now just catch, slip on, and release! New HUGGIES® Little Movers Slip-On

Diapers feature a revolutionary, easy-on design that includes: pre-fastened tabs which allow the

diaper to slide up instead of wrap on, stretchy sides that require no adjustments for a fuss-free fit,

and easy open sides for easy removal no matter what position the baby is in. The new design also

delivers the trusted leakage protection of HUGGIES® Leak Lock system plus all the comfort and fit

of classic HUGGIES® diapers.

Price: $9.50/jumbo pack

10. BEVERAGE

Sierra Mist® Natural™

PepsiCo, Inc.

Only when you take away all of the artificial ingredients can the pure, crisp, refreshing taste of

lemon-lime be fully revealed. Sierra Mist® Natural™ captures the delicious essence of the citrus

fruit because it’s sweetened with real sugar and has nothing to weigh you down: No artificial

ingredients, no artificial colors, no artificial flavor, no preservatives, no caffeine, no High Fructose

Corn Syrup (HFCS). New Sierra Mist® Natural™ the natural re-invention of lemon-lime soda

Price: $3.49; 12-pack 20 oz cans,

$3.49; 2 liter bottle,

$1.39; 20 oz bottle

11. CANDY

SNICKERS® Peanut Butter Squared

Mars Chocolate NA

Making the “World’s Best Candy Bar” better, Snickers added a new variety to the legendary candy

bar line – Peanut Butter Squared. SNICKERS® Peanut Butter Squared retains all the ingredients

people love about SNICKERS® – peanuts, caramel, nougat and milk chocolate and pairs them with

delicious peanut butter to further satisfy consumers’ hunger. Available at retail stores nationwide,

PB2, as it’s affectionately known by fans, includes two delicious square-shaped bars with a MSRP

of $.89.

Price: $0.89

12. SNACKS

Orville Redenbacher’s® Gourmet® Popping Corn

ConAgra Foods, Inc.

Orville Redenbacher’s® Gourmet® Popping Corn introduced the Pop Up Bowl™, a bag design that

allows for easier snacking, sharing and clean-up while still providing the same delicious flavor. With

the Pop Up Bowl, the bag transforms into a wide-brimmed bowl right in the microwave so that

sharing becomes even more enjoyable and fun for everyone. As always, Orville Redenbacher’s

microwave popcorn is a good source of fiber, has zero trans-fat and is made with 100% whole

grains.

Price: $2.99 for a three-pack,

$4.49 for a six-pack

13. FROZEN FOOD

Healthy Choice® Top Chef Café Steamers

ConAgra Foods, Inc.

Healthy Choice’s new Top Chef inspired line of Café Steamers. Think crisp vegetables, tender

meats and perfectly al dente pastas – steamed to bring out the best of each ingredient. The line

comes in eight deliciously inspired recipes: Chicken Linguini with Red Pepper Alfredo, Grilled

Chicken Pesto with Vegetables, Chicken Margherita with Balsamic, Chicken Fresca with

Chardonnay, Grilled Vegetables Mediterranean with Rice, Grilled Chicken Marinara with

Parmesan, Roasted Chicken Marsala with Mushrooms, and Barbeque Seasoned Steak with Red

Potatoes.

Price: $2.75 – $3.50

14. SPECIALTY FOODS

New York Brand® Garlic Knots

T. Marzetti Company

A garlic-herb covered hand-tied breadstick knot is quick-frozen, locking in the taste and texture of

fresh bread, and allowing you to experience the fresh-from-scratch taste of Garlic Knots with just a

4-5 minute bake time. It is simply impossible to believe our fully baked knots were once frozen. The

folds in the knot hold the garlic flavor in, creating a one-of-a-kind taste that is crispy outside, but

soft and warm inside. A perfect partner to pizza, salad, and pasta.

Price: $2.88

15. AIR CARE

Air Wick® Flip n’ Fresh™

Reckitt Benckiser Group

Flip n’ Fresh™ is a range of new decorative air fresheners, designed to instantly make your home

smell fresh and welcoming. Flip n’ Fresh™ allows you to enjoy lasting fragrance that you control.

Available in a range of lasting aromas, this stylish air freshener uses 100% fragrance oil for a fresh

scent. Fill the room with as much or as little fragrance as you’d like, just with a flip!

Price: $2.99 for singles,

$4.99 for twins

16. TODDLER MEALTIME

mOmma® Straw Cup with Dual Handles

Lansinoh Laboratories, Inc.

The mOmma® by Lansinoh® straw cup with dual handles combines shape, color and a unique

rocking motion to engage baby during mealtime and stimulate development. The modern and

innovative In & Out Straw System stores the straw within the lid to prevent leaks and ensures

maximum hygiene when on the go! Round ergonomic shape and soft handles are specially

designed for your baby’s hands to grip while the 100% silicone soft straw is gentle on baby’s

developing teeth and gums.Safe and hygienic, the cup rocks but remains upright to prevent the

straw from coming into contact with surfaces.

Price: $9.99

17. TODDLER ORAL CARE

Aquafresh® Training Toothpaste

GlaxoSmithKline

Did you know that your baby’s adult teeth are already forming just below the surface? Caring for

your baby’s teeth now can impact the health of those adult teeth. That’s why Aquafresh® designed

our new training toothpaste especially for your baby. Our toothpaste is safe to swallow, with no

fluoride and no artificial colors or preservatives. It’s a great start to a lifetime of healthy teeth. Try

new Aquafresh® training paste and brush.

Price: $2.99

18. PAINT

Valspar® Spray Paint

Valspar Corporation

The new and uniquely designed Valspar® Spray Paint Can makes the spray painting experience

easier, faster and cleaner than ever. The can’s large, comfortable finger pad requires 35% less

finger pressure than other spray paint cans. The patented spray top shields the finger from paint for

a cleaner painting process (addressing a common complaint from consumers). Valspar® Spray

Paint also features an improved paint formula and is available in 47 colors.

Price: $4.48

19. HOUSEHOLD CLEANING

Zero Odor® Eliminator

Zero Odor, LLC

Thanks to its breakthrough technology, Zero Odor® permanently eliminates any odor it touches.

When you spray Zero Odor® in the air or on a surface, it seeks out and bonds with the odor

molecules, turning them into non-odor molecules. So, whatever odor it touches — from stinky dog

beds and cat litter boxes, to smoke-infused curtains and kitchen garbage cans, even skunk spray –

is gone forever, leaving only clean, crisp air behind. Zero Odor® is non-toxic and safe for your

home.

Price: $12.99

20. INSECT REPELLENT

OFF!® Deep Woods® Dry Insect Repellent

S.C. Johnson & Co.

When enjoying the great outdoors, no one wants to wear a greasy mosquito spray. Now you can

feel comfortable and stay protected with New OFF!® Deep Woods® Dry. This long-lasting formula

delivers the same proven protection of OFF!® Deep Woods® but goes on dry – not oily or greasy

like other ordinary repellents. It uses a unique powder dry technology that dries on contact and

feels comfortable on the skin. So, you won’t even know you’re wearing it – but the mosquitoes will.

Price: $5.99

21. SKIN TREATMENT

RetinoSyn-45

Beauty Bioscience

RetinoSyn-45 is the first cosmetic product to use breakthrough Titration Therapy, which slowly

increases the concentration of key active ingredients through a three-phase treatment used over

45 days. In clinical trials, RetinoSyn-45′s combination of patent-pending peptides, growth factor

stimulants and retinoids achieved an unprecedented, VISIA-measured 49% reduction in epidermal

and dermal wrinkles. In in vitro studies, actives stimulated 66 year old fibroblast cells to produce as

much collagen as 33 year old cells.

Price: $175

22. CREAMER

Coffee-mate® Natural Bliss®

Nestle USA, Inc.

Simple never tasted so good. New Coffee-mate® Natural Bliss® is an all-natural dairy creamer

made with just four ingredients: milk, cream, sugar and natural flavor. It contains no additives,

preservatives or artificial ingredients. With a creamy texture and delightful taste, Natural Bliss

offers a touch of flavorful sweetness to please every palate – so you can create your perfect cup,

the natural way. Add your flavor naturally with delicious Sweet Cream, Vanilla, Low Fat Vanilla or

Caramel Coffee-mate Natural Bliss today.

Price: $2.69

I was able to try most of the items on the winner’s list and there were a few favorites that I’m so glad I was able to sample! First, my absolute favorite was the mOmmaStraw Cup with Dual Handles by Lansinoh Laboratories, Inc. It’s perfect for kids who are learning to use a straw, it really is “spill proof,” and my toddler loved the design of the cup. I wish we had this a year ago for her! Another big hit with everyone in my family was the Orville Redenbacher’s® Gourmet® Popping Corn! The bag made it easier to eat and the popcorn was delicious! I also really loved the Softsoap® Bar Soap Coconut Scrub!

For more information on Product of the Year USA and the winners, visit their website here and “like” them on Facebook too!

Want a chance to try some of the Product of the Year USA winning products too? One winner will have the chance to receive some of this year’s winners (please note the Philips and Retinosyn45 are not included)!

Do you love these kinds of Giveaways? Well, make sure after you enter you click this link to cast an automatic vote for me on Top Mommy Blogs. It’s where many of my Sponsors find me! Thank you & Good luck!

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