Coke Zero Launched: June 2006 Sales: £46.2m Star rating: ? ? ? ? ?



Undoubtedly the most impressive newcomer of the past 12 months, Coke Zero has outsold any other of this year's Star Products by three to one and is also one of the decade's most successful food and drink launches. After just 38 weeks Coke Zero has racked up sales of more than £46m. It has also bolstered Coca-Cola Enterprises' overall performance in the soft drinks category. According to Nielsen, CCE's cola portfolio grew by 5.6% in value on the previous year thanks to Coke Zero. Without the new launch it would have only increased 0.4%, well below the total cola sector.

CCE has put a lot of money behind the brand, launching it with a £10m marketing campaign, but this has not been the sole reason for its success. It has also benefited from its black packaging perfectly targeted at the male consumer and from CCE's use of a strong sales force to get it into stores at the time of launch. The brand is listed in 90% of the UK's major multiples and c-stores. Coke Zero has already become a strong competitor to Pepsi Max, a brand which has dominated the male low-calorie market for the past 11 years. That rivalry is being felt - during the same period, sales of Pepsi Max fell by 4.3%.

Walkers Baked Launched: September 2006 Sales: £15.2m Star rating: ? ? ? ? ?



Walkers Baked got off to a shaky start in September when production issues prevented regular supply to retailers, causing TV ads to be delayed. Despite missing the key Christmas period, Baked has since cranked up impressive sales figures. The product, which targets male healthy eaters, has gained penetration of 17.2%, higher than Mini Pringles and Potato Heads at the same stage.

Fairy Fabric Conditioner Launched: November 2005 Sales: £14m Star rating: ? ? ? ? ?



Fairy Fabric Conditioner was officially launched in Sainsbury's at the end of 2005, but its full launch was not until February 2006, which is why it appears in this year's list. The product capitalises on the strong Fairy detergent brand and its sales and distribution figures speak for themselves. It has achieved 97% coverage in the multiples and 42% coverage in impulse channels.

Cadbury Dairy Milk Melts Launched: September 2006 Sales: £5.7m Star rating: ? ? ? ? ?



Melts has been the most successful 'true' NPD launch in the chocolate block market in the past three years, according to Nielsen, and has been the main driver of growth in the category in the nine months since launch. It holds a 2.3% share of the block market, more than three times the share of more established rival Galaxy Promises, which has 0.7% and 77% distribution.

Del Monte Smoothie Ice Lollies Launched: February 2006 Sales: £4.9m Star rating: ? ? ? ? ?



This innovative product, which combines the popularity of smoothies and the Del Monte name with the draw of ice cream, has proven to be a winner for producer Fredericks Dairies. Even limited distribution in the impulse channels of only 4% has failed to stop it clocking up impressive sales.

Kingsmill Head Start Omega-3 Launched: July 2006 Sales: £4.6m Star rating: ? ? ? ? ?



Many have jumped on the Omega-3 bandwagon over the past year but few products have made as much impact as Kingsmill Head Start, which gives parents a simple way of boosting their child's intake of essential fatty acids. Its excellent performance is down to an effective TV campaign and strong early distribution with the big four multiples and Waitrose.

Kleenex Anti-Viral Launched: September 2005 Sales: £3.1m Star rating: ? ? ? ? ?



Anti-Viral just missed the cut-off date to make last year's Star Products list but has deserved its place this time around. The product claims to trap and kill 99.9% of cold and flu viruses before they spread and has been a hit with consumers. With a total distribution of only 55% it also has great potential to grow over the next 12 months.

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