The winners of Product of the Year 2025 have been revealed, as decided by 8,000 UK consumers in the annual survey of product innovation that spotlights the A-list of FMCG and beyond.
Beauty, homeware and pet products have dominated the list this year – with two new categories, ‘Financial Services’ and ‘Garden Lifestyle’ making their debuts as Product of the Year firsts.
Over two decades, Product of the Year has gained a reputation for putting brands and products on the map, by giving them the recognition they deserve. The eye-catching logo has an 81 per cent recognition among shoppers and can be spotted in all major supermarkets and convenience stores nationwide. Commonly regarded as a seal of approval amid a sea of products on shop shelves, it’s a vote of confidence by consumers for consumers. The research has been independently conducted with the world’s leading data and insights company, Kantar. Brands that are fortunate to "walk away" with a coveted trophy also win the right to feature the iconic red Product of the Year logo.
Natural beauty is a recurring theme among this year’s beauty and wellness winners, which included Dove Advanced Care Body Wash range, NIVEA’s Serum-Infused Micellar Water Skin Glow – the UK’s first serum-infused micellar water, and Hawaiian Tropic Hydrating Protection Lotion SPF50 on the market Haircare and grooming winners were Schwarzkopf Oleo Intense (hair colour) and Wilkinson Sword Hydro 5 Razor.
In the Beer corner, Birra Moretti 'Sale Di Mare', inspired by Italy’s coastal regions, won the prize. For RTDs, it was Jack Daniel's & Coca‑Cola, and Strongbow Strawberry – a much-celebrated addition to the fruity ciders range – won in the cider category.
Vegetarians will rejoice that Lurpak Plant Based, ree from palm oil, preservatives, colourings, and other additives, won the ‘Vegetarian’ category. The Walkers Extra Flamin' Hot range, which consists of Doritos, Wotsits Crunchy and Walkers Max, came top in ‘Crisps and Bagged Snacks’, and in the frozen aisle, Birds Eye Crispy Chips came top, combining the crispiness of French fries with the fluffiness of straight-cut chips.
Perfetti Van Melle scored a double victory with Mentos Pure Fresh Gum Duo Packs also Mentos Discovery. The latter is a Perfetti Van Melle category-first this Product of the Year awards season – 14 iconic fruit flavours in one tube make for a tantalising taste experience.
Meanwhile, in soft drinks, three winners came a caffeine kick. Kenco Millicano Cadbury Mocha, a rich and creamy barista-style coffee experience won, alongside Starbucks Protein Drink with Coffee and Starbucks Frappuccino Caramel No Added Sugar.
Pets were no doubt pleased that Felix Doubly Delicious Dry Cat Food was named the Product of the Year winner within the "Cat Food" category and Winalot Friday Suppers in "Dog Food".
“We’re delighted to see so many incredible innovators receive the recognition they deserve,” says Helga Slater, MD, Product of the Year. “From category-firsts to world-firsts, this year’s winners reveal an evolving consumer landscape and what better recognition than that of the voting public – all 8,000 of them!”
Here is the full list of 2025 Product of the Year winners across 39 categories to help your sales with the famous red sticker on the pack:
Bed, Simba St Ives Ottoman Bed, Simba Sleep Ltd
Bedding: Simba Hybrid Pillow, Simba Sleep Ltd
Beer: Birra Moretti 'Sale Di Mare', Heineken
Bladder Weakness: TENA Silhouette Incontinence Underwear, Essity UK Ltd
Body Skincare: Dove Advanced Care Body Wash Range, Unilever
The male toiletries brand Lynx is ensuring young men smell great and targeting further growth in 2025 with the addition of Sunset Fresh to its core portfolio.
Available across convenience and wholesale channels, the revitalising Sunset Fresh fragrance is available in multiple formats - body spray, anti-perspirant, stick and shower gel formats* – to appeal to a wide range of shoppers. The fragrance profile has been designed to resonate with Lynx’s core audience of 11-34 year olds.
Formulated using refreshing ingredients from nature, the fragrance aims to leave consumers smelling great and bursting with energy throughout the day. Tapping into the trend for "aquatic fragrances", Sunset Fresh is a refreshing, crisp and invigorating scent. With uplifting tropics notes of mango and sweet mandarin, it’s a natural cocktail for success.
“Innovation is vital when it comes to exciting shoppers and bringing new consumers into the personal care category," said Monique Rossi, General Manager, Deodorants, Unilever UKI. Lynx is a signpost brand for male grooming and Sunset Fresh has been developed with a clear target audience in mind, whilst helping retailers to freshen up their shelves.
“Fragrance is still the number one confidence driver amongst young males, who are looking for ways to stand out from the crowd and feel good about themselves. We’ve had considerable success with our two latest editions to the Lynx core portfolio, Epic Fresh and Jungle Fresh, which have contributed to the brand’s recent growth. We expect Sunset Fresh, with its vibrant fragrance profile to appeal to young guys by resonating with the latest personal care trends. We’ll be supporting the launch with substantial marketing investment across the summer months, so now is the ideal time for retailers to refresh their personal care shelves.”
Lynx Sunset Fresh will be backed by a £2m marketing campaign running from July to September. All Lynx products are PETA Approved Vegan, and all new Lynx innovation is packaged in infinitely recyclable cans.
Unilever is the number one deodorant manufacturer, with over 54 per cent of the market. Its three market-leading brands, Sure, Lynx and Dove, all lead in the three key need states which form 97 per cent of the market – Protection, Protection & Care and Fragrance. In the last year, the deodorants category continued to see significant growth, with Unilever contributing £42m of this.
Philip Morris Limited (PML), the UK and Ireland affiliate of Philip Morris International (PMI), has announced the expansion of its TEREAPearls capsule range with the launch of two new dual-flavour variants; Riviera Pearl and Provence Pearl.
Featuring innovative capsule technology, the TEREA Pearls range enable users to switch seamlessly from a traditional tobacco blend to a unique flavour with a single click. This enhancement elevates flavour delivery, offering an enriched experience for users of its IQOS ILUMA heat-not-burn device.
The latest duo adds two new flavours to the portfolio, bringing the full TEREA flavour range to fifteen, meeting the top taste preferences of legal-aged nicotine users in the UK:
NEW Riviera Pearl: Raspberry Rose (on a click)
NEW Provence Pearl: Grape with Menthol (on a click)
Abora Pearl: Strawberry and Basil (on a click)
Amelia Pearl: Watermelon with Menthol (on a click)
Starling Pearl: Green Apple with Menthol (on a click)
Twilight Pearl: Blueberry with Menthol (on a click)
The TEREA Pearls range caters to the high demand among adult smokers and nicotine users for smoke-free, capsulated tobacco products. Early sales data revealed that nearly one in five TEREA packs sold in a top-four grocery multiple within the first three months were Pearls, demonstrating a strong preference for these capsulated products.
“For some adult smokers, having responsible access to a preferred flavour can be an important factor in making the switch from smoking cigarettes,” said Anthony Loinsard, Head of IQOS at PML. “Capsulated heated tobacco products offer retailers a unique proposition for legal-aged nicotine users to seamlessly switch from traditional tobacco blends to unique flavour blends of their choice with a single click,” he added.
“With the addition of two new flavours, Riviera and Provence, we will continue to strengthen the taste portfolio of IQOS ILUMA, providing an appealing and real tobacco alternative for adult nicotine users who would otherwise return to smoking cigarettes,” Loinsard concluded.
Available across all indirect retail channels, retailers can benefit from profit-on-return (POR) offers on selected TEREA Pearls, which are used exclusively with IQOS ILUMA.
IQOS ILUMA complements gantries because, when used with TEREA, it delivers tobacco taste and satisfaction, but with 95 per cent less harmful chemicals compared to cigarettes and enables savings of up to £3,300 a year.
IQOS ILUMA is part of PMI’s expanding portfolio of smoke-free products available in the UK, including ZYN nicotine pouches and VEEV ONE, the latest innovation in PMI’s VEEV E-Vapor range.
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Unilever sponsors Women's EURO 2025 with top brands
Unilever and the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) have on Thursday named brands from Unilever’s foods and personal care business groups as official sponsors of UEFA Women’s EURO 2025.
The tournament, set to take place in Switzerland this summer (2–27 July), is anticipated to be the most viewed and attended UEFA Women’s EURO to date. With the game’s growing popularity, Unilever aims to leverage the platform to showcase its portfolio of brands – including Power Brands Hellmann’s, Knorr, Dove, and Rexona (also known as Sure) – with integrated campaigns.
“We are thrilled to partner with the UEFA Women's EURO 2025, enabling our foods brands to connect with a large audience who come together enjoying the thrill of a football match with friends whilst sharing delicious foods,” Robbert de Vreede, general manager Unilever Foods Europe said.
“Just as a great BBQ brings people closer, football unites fans in a shared experience of passion and camaraderie. In this partnership we will create memorable moments that highlight the best of summer – good food, great company, and beautiful games.”
Fulvio Guarneri, general manager Unilever Personal Care Europe, added: “This is an exciting opportunity for some of our biggest brands to tap into a big cultural moment and connect with millions of consumers who will be watching the UEFA Women’s EURO 2025. It’s a great time for women’s football, and this partnership fits perfectly with our Personal Care products which are all about feeling clean and confident, and taking part in sports.
“Together with our retail partners, we look forward to building on the success of last year’s men’s tournament, delivering unmissable campaigns across a variety of channels that celebrate the power of women’s football.”
The partnership builds on Unilever’s previous sponsorship of the UEFA EURO 2024, in which it activated across 16 brands, 24 markets, and over 126,000 stores. It will see the brands activate a range of initiatives designed to enhance the fan experience and promote the company's commitment to growing the women’s game, removing barriers to entry, and inspiring the next generation.
A centuries-old Indian spirit, banned during British colonial rule, is poised to make a dramatic entrance onto the UK drinks market.
Six Brothers Mahura, distilled from the culturally significant Mahura flower (Madhuca Longifolia), will launch in the UK in 2025, marking the first time this unique spirit has been sold outside of India. This launch follows the unveiling of a limited-edition ultra-premium release, the Six Brothers 1922 Resurrection Mahura, of which only 102 bottles are available.
Also known as Mahua, Mahuva, Mahuda or Mhowra, the Mahura tree is native to the forests of western and central India. Its flower has long been cherished by indigenous tribal communities and royalty alike, but its distillation was suppressed during colonial times to protect European spirit imports. Now, South Seas Distilleries, one of India’s oldest malt distilleries, is reviving this forgotten heritage with two Mahura expressions.
Six Brothers Small Batch Mahura, the spirit launching in the UK, is a premium spirit, double-distilled in copper pot stills and platinum filtered. Its complex and aromatic profile offers sweet, earthy notes of dried fruits, pepper, and ginger, followed by a clean, spicy finish with lingering raisin and hay. The spirit is expected to be versatile, lending itself to a range of sophisticated cocktails.
To celebrate the UK launch and introduce Mahura to the market, South Seas Distilleries has launched the Six Brothers Mahura Masters cocktail competition. Set to take place in March at the prestigious Scarfes Bar at the Rosewood London, the competition invites top bartenders to create innovative cocktails using Mahura.
Andy Loudon, Director of Bars at Scarfes Bar, said the venue was the perfect setting for the launch of a new spirit category.
“With a legacy of redefining cocktail culture through creativity and narrative driven storytelling, Scarfes Bar naturally aligns with the symbolism of the Mahura flower: rare, vibrant, and full of possibility,” Loudon commented.
“The venue’s history of hosting world-class competitions and championing forward-thinking bartending makes it a fitting stage to unveil a spirit that, like the Mahura, signifies growth, transformation, and a bold new chapter in the world of cocktails.”
Drinks critic Douglas Blyde, a judge for the competition, added: “The competition provides an opportunity to introduce this groundbreaking spirit to the UK market, engaging the capital’s best talent in the process. Bartenders will have the unique chance to shape the way Mahura as a category is received in the UK, and to push the boundaries of what this versatile spirit can do in cocktails.”
The competition will see two winners being rewarded with a luxury trip to India to learn about the spirit’s cultural and distilling heritage, timed to coincide with the Mahura tree’s blooming season.
Doritos' Super Bowl ad, chosen by the American public, is set to air in Britain this Sunday during the big game between Philadelphia Eagles and Kansas City Chiefs for the most coveted trophy in American Football.
While many Brits may not fully grasp the nuances of American Football, the Super Bowl commercials themselves offer a spectacle often as entertaining as the game.
This year, UK viewers will get a taste of the #DoritosCrash competition, a unique initiative that empowers aspiring filmmakers.
Last September, Doritos challenged fans and creators to produce their own 30-second Super Bowl ad for a chance to win $1 million and have their work broadcast during the game. The call to action was simple: “Think you can do better? Prove it.”
Thousands of entries were whittled down to three finalists – Abduction, Barbershop, and Charades – by a panel of judges including players and advertising experts. Ultimately, the American public chose the winner: Abduction.
Created by co-directors Dylan and Nate, Abduction humorously depicts that no one can resist the bold crunch of Doritos – not even extraterrestrials! This sci-fi-inspired spot, packed with twists and turns, will be shown on ITV and Sky Sports during the Super Bowl broadcast.
While this marks the first time a #DoritosCrash ad will air in the UK, the competition itself has a rich history. Launched in 2006, it was a pioneering effort in user-generated content, placing the biggest advertising moment of the year in the hands of fans. Despite social media being in its early stages, the gamble paid off, and the contest ran for ten years, producing some of the most memorable Super Bowl ads ever seen.
“This year’s #DoritosCrash contest winner, Abduction, is the ultimate embodiment of Doritos’ For the Bold ethos,” Chris Bellinger, chief creative officer at PepsiCo, said.
“They truly pushed the bounds of creativity with their Abduction ad. We can’t wait to showcase their vision on the biggest stage in advertising, as we know the spot will inspire our fans to continue stepping outside of what is expected.”