27 Jan The Show Must Go On…..
At a time when we are all looking for touchstones of normality, we are proud and pleased that Product of the Year 2021 can still go on, virtually, on Wednesday 27th January.
It may be moving from the art deco splendour of London’s Sheraton Hotel to the comfort of our guests’ own homes, but many elements remained unchanged – and on the bright side, at least they don’t have to brave the winter cold.
It’s still a chance to pop a cork and break Dry January – although surely only those with an iron will can be attempting that this year. For the second year actor, writer and comedian Sally Phillips is our host. It remains an opportunity to reflect on and applaud the hard work of the extraordinary year that has passed. And, of course, the winners still get a coveted Product of the Year 2021 trophy and the chance to use our iconic red logo for the next 12 months.
Above all, the raison d’être of Product of the Year remains: To celebrate the product innovations and improvements that have made their mark.
It has been a year of challenges and changeable ways of working. Many have been grafting from home, juggling different responsibilities, bringing teams together remotely rather than in person. But those challenges have been met and overcome, and that’s what makes the winners this year even more remarkable than ever.
Despite the difficulties, and in some cases because of them, innovation hasn’t stopped. Brands have had to respond to abrupt switches in consumer behaviour, while working in ways they couldn’t have imagined a year ago, and they have done so brilliantly. We applaud them all.
A year ago, as Sophie Ellis-Bextor danced around the Product of the Year stage at the end of our 2020 awards, how could we have known that just a few weeks later she’d be bringing us moves from her kitchen discos? It’s been a year of unknowns, of some dead ends and many untrodden paths, but – as Sophie E-B found – some new and exciting avenues have also opened up.
We are so pleased and grateful to all those who have found their way back to Product of the Year. Look out for the list of winners from Wednesday’s awards on Twitter @POY_UK and Productoftheyear.co.uk and stick with us as the year unfolds.