gimmick

I'm a gimmick girl. The best way to get me to spend money in your place of business is to throw out a New and Improved item. You'll have me hook line and sinker.

The mountain of coolers that I own (and have owned) is all due to gimmicks. I buy a cooler. It is functional. It holds all the food I need it to hold. It keeps everything cool, just as promised. I'm happy with it. Then I happen to be in the store and wander by the cooler section. Hmm. Look at that cooler. It has a SIDE ZIP POCKET! Think of what I could store in there!!!!! And another cooler joins my coffers. And don't get me started on the coolers with wheels, an easy open top flap, and an expandable bottom compartment, apparently in case you get more food once you get where you're going and need the extra room. All of which I have.

My oldest child just turned three. I am on my fifth diaper bag. The first one was given to me as a gift at my baby shower. I registered for it. It was very gimmicky. Two side pockets for bottles, front pocket with Mom organizer, including a key fob, and a diaper changing pad, with a clear plastic 'dirty clothes' bag to complete it. Upon actually using this bag, I decided it was too big, and went for the complimentary diaper bag I got in the hospital. It worked for a while, but it was just one big space. I needed compartments, without going overboard, of course. The next diaper bag was just right….until I found out I was expecting #2. Now I needed a diaper bag to hold not only the infant diapers and wipes, but also the crayons and juice boxes of the older one. Some would say that any old bag would do. Not me. I found the perfect bag, full of compartments and organizers for the big kids stuff, and lots of empty space for the little one's stuff. That lasted about a year. My latest one is a sight to see. You know what won me over? It has 'stroller attachable straps'. Oooo…I'm getting goosebumps just thinking about it. Plus, you should see the zippered pockets on this thing.

And my fascination with gimmicks extends to the food world as well, where it probably exists in its most extreme form. I was the first on the bandwagon to try the different permutations of Coke and Pepsi when they went all Lemon, Lime, and whatever else. I've tasted the Dr. Pepper with Berries and Crème, the Fresca peach and black cherry, and more vanilla sodas than you can imagine. Back in 9th grade, I had one very specific request for my birthday dinner: Crystal Pepsi. What a concept! Pepsi! But it's clear!!

Wendy's has suckered me a few times. I've eaten their crispy chicken sandwiches quite a few times and thought they were good. Then came the commercial with an irresistible tag line: Now! CRISPIER! Crispier??? There's been crisp that I've been missing out on??? My latest Wendy's gimmick involved their Frosty, recently introduced in a vanilla version. Which, of course, is nothing more than a vanilla shake, something that can be found at any fast food restaurant across the nation. But it was more than that – it was a Frosty, but vanilla! I had to taste it for myself.

White chocolate M&Ms? Check. Reece's cups 'inside out'? Check. Special edition White Chocolate Kit-Kat? Check. McDonalds chicken ranch snack wrap? Check. Pepsi One? Check. Coke Zero? Check. Cherry Coke Zero? Check.

I feel like there may be a lesson in this for me to learn. But first, I noticed something the other day while I was driving home. Seems McDonalds has a new chicken snack wrap. This one has Honey Mustard. I'm in.

February 3, 2007