Word of the Day: Gimmick
Gimmicks are everywhere these days, and they have been everywhere for a very long time. They’re usually small things that have no real value, which attract people’s attention.
Quite often the purpose of a gimmick is to make you buy something.
A gimmick can be anything from a small toy inside a box of cereal to a download of a free eBook for signing up to a website’s newsletter.
In today’s accompanying picture the ‘strong man’ is a fun but gimmicky attraction.
In the old days, people would buy a ticket to see the ‘strong man’ perform feats of strength.
Of course, often the ‘strong man’ was just an average guy, and the things he lifted, such as the barbells in the picture were not even real.
How about that curly moustache though? That alone is worth the price of admission.
He was just a gimmicky attraction to get you to purchase a ticket, just like the toy in a modern box of cereal or the free eBook that you get when you sign up for a website’s newsletter.