Gimmick
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In marketing language, a gimmick is a quirky feature that distinguishes a product or service without adding any obvious function or value. Thus, a gimmick sells solely on the basis of distinctiveness and may not appeal to the more savvy or shrewd customer.
In marketing, product gimmicks are sometimes considered mere novelties, and not really that relevant to the product's functioning, sometimes even earning negative connotations. However, some seemingly trivial gimmicks of the past have evolved into useful, permanent features. According to the OED, the word is first attested in 1926, defined in the Wise-Crack Dictionary by Main and Grant as "a device used for making a fair game crooked".
Finding a successful gimmick for an otherwise mundane product is often an important part of the marketing process. For example, toothbrushes are often given various gimmicks, such as bright colors, easy-grip handles, or color-changing bristles so they appear more exciting to consumers. This is often done when trying to appeal to children or excitable, immature, or less shrewd (usually young) adults, who often get more excited about the gimmick than the product.
Major product features which are poorly designed become known as gimmicks to the product users. Plastic devices often suffer from weak structural components or fragile construction, leading to deforming and cracking of the over-strained and poorly engineered mechanisms. This leaves the owner with the basic functions of the item and the gimmick disabled or, in the case of very cheaply produced products, the gimmick broken completely from the main body of the item.
Examples of well known gimmicks
- The many movie gimmicks of William Castle
- Angus Young, the guitarist of rock band AC/DC, wears a school uniform on stage as a gimmick. When the band just started, the members told the press Young was 14 years old (while he was 18) to create a foundation for the gimmick.
- A lot of aspects of professional wrestling are gimmicks, such as outfits and names of wrestlers.
- The metal band Slipknot members wear masks as their gimmick.
- A non-marketing type of gimmick is nose art.
Source: Oxford English Dictionary