Agimmick is a novel device or idea designed primarily to attract attention or increase appeal, often with little intrinsic value.[1][2] When applied toretail marketing, it is a unique or quirky feature designed to make a product or service "stand out" from its competitors. Product gimmicks are sometimes considered merenovelties, and tangential to the product's functioning. Gimmicks are occasionally viewed negatively, but some seemingly trivial gimmicks of the past have evolved into useful, permanent features. Invideo games, the term is also sometimes used to describe unusual features or playstyles, especially if they are unnecessary or obnoxious.
The origin of the term "gimmick" is uncertain.Etymologists suggest that the term emerged in the United States in the early 20th century. TheOxford Dictionary suggests that it may have originally been a slang term for something that acon artist ormagician manipulated to make appearances different from reality, and which gradually changed its meaning to refer to any ‘piece of magicians' apparatus’. The word itself may be an approximate anagram of the wordmagic.[3]
The termgimmick may also have resulted from alteration to the wordgimcrack,[4] which refers to a showy object of little use or value.[5] Another possible origin is that it may have come into use amonggaming tables, where it came to refer to "a device used for making a fair game crooked".[6] The term first appeared in American newspapers in the 1910s and 1920s.[7][better source needed]
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In marketing, the use of gimmicks can be an important part of the sales promotions effort. However, finding a successful gimmick for an otherwise mundane product can be challenging, as it requires some effort to match the promotional objectives with the gimmick, and select items which will ideally contribute to enduring brand recall.
Many different types of gimmicks are used in sales promotion and product design. For example,toothbrushes are often given certain gimmicks, such as bright colors, easy-grip handles, or color-changing bristles, in order to appear more interesting toconsumers. This is often done in an attempt to appeal tochildren, who are often more interested in the gimmick than the product.
Musicians often adopt visual gimmicks that do not affect their music.Slash'stop hat,Angus Young'sschoolboy uniform,makeup used byKISS, anddeadmau5's mouse helmet are examples of such gimmicks. Gimmicks within a musical context are also a central characteristic of thenovelty song.
TheMcDonald's 1984 Olympics promotion offered freeMcDonald's food to U.S. customers if the United States won medals in specific events at the1984 Summer Olympics. Due to theboycott by many nations that had won many medals in prior Olympiads, the U.S. teams won significantly more medals than McDonald's had expected them to, causing shortages at some restaurants.[8]
In 1992, the British division ofThe Hoover Company launcheda disastrous promotional campaign which promised free airline tickets to purchasers of its appliances. The division lost £50 million as a result and was eventually sold.[9]
In 1997, certain Polishtobacco companies were using youngsales representatives, traveling around in flashy company branded vehicles, to workclubs and venues where they gave away freecigarettes to patrons as part of the promotional effort. The sales and marketing team atPhillip Morris decided to add another gimmick to the sampling by having the sales reps use trickmatches which lit with a simple scratch onjeans. In one case, the stocks of matches carried in a vehicle caughtfire killing two sales reps and seriously injuring another. The incident createdpublic relations problems for the company.[10]
