A marketing ploy used to
trick people, usually in order to make them believe that they need or must have a particular product- to be cool, healthy, happy, etc. Comes from the combination of '
gimmick' and 'image', because a gimmage is usually used when a company wants to change their product's image in order to sell more of it. Gimmages have been used for a long time, but even more so recently.
Products like Sobe's Lifewater and Vitamin Water...the gimmage is making you believe that these products are good for you and will make you more healthy- in fact you need them or you just won't get enough vitamins or have enough "life" in you.
Gatorade- forever marketed as a product to enhance your performance in
sports or highly-active situations. Now they have Gatorade
Tiger, because it will make you play like Tiger woods, and the whole 'G' renaming, meant to give Gatorade some street cred and make it more
popular in the hood- to compete with Kool Aid and Little Hugs.
Anything sold in an infomercial.
Red Bull, other highly-caffeinated drinks, 5 Hour Energy...because one just won't have enough energy for anything without it. Our
society is hectic today, but marketers have led us to believe that we NEED caffeine, and lots of it, in order to survive.
McDonald's, with trying to market themselves as healthy...they'
re still not.
