Inspector Gadget

In connection with the theme of the current issue of "Purpose", I remembered my childhood and with great fascination I recalled my memories. There was the "Inspector Gadget" among them - a funny American-Canadian-French animated series depicting the trials and tribulations of not too smart detective. His weakness of intellect was compensated by countless gadgets that was helping him to fare in difficult situations. Contents of the movie may deviate slightly from the subject matter taken in this issue of the magazine - Inspector's gadgets are neither designer nor aesthetic, also they are not used for promotional purposes - but the title was the first association that came to my mind with the word 'gadget'.

This prompted me to seek out its etymology. In a sense, I myself have become inspector Gadget - this time a gadget detective. After "googling out" the word 'gadget' there are only technical innovations displayed in the results, electronics and other, equipment that is expensive and difficult to use.

However, by searching further and using more and more loose associations, I managed to get to the interesting information. It turns out that it comes from the name of the craftsman Gadget, which probably as the first one ever who, at the time when the Statue of Liberty in New York was created, was making its miniatures and selling them as souvenirs. Does such an etymology justify the conclusion that the word 'gadget' is a synonym for a souvenir? A range of souvenirs offered by retailers around the world is very wide - from small natural exhibits (such as the desert rose in Egypt and Tunisia, sales of which are in fact illegal) through the stylized miniatures of local works of art, to the flashing torch lights, cars and other "little disturbers". Each of them represents in a way a gadget advertising the place in which, or event during which, it is sold.

However, according to a subject matter of the current issue of "Purpose", let us focus on advertising gadgets. They should be characterized by several features that work the best if occur at the same time. First of all, they should look good, be unconventional, it would be best if they are useful and being also original would be the peak of gadget craftsmanship. This brings us to the point. In the twenty-first century gadgets are everywhere around us, their designers and manufacturers are competing in their quality, originality, and (sic) produced quantity and the price proposed. Those few factors clash with each other because if an item is mass produced, can it still be original? I am afraid that one exclude another. Fortunately, more and more often institutions, smaller companies or organizers of events begin to prefer the originality over the price.



How many of us visiting another conference, instead of another eco-bag (ironically, made of polyester), another long pen with a logo, and another pen-drive or notebook (it would take long to enumerate) would prefer to get one interesting and, most of all, unique item? It could be an owl carved in wood, a felt pad or a porcelain bell which could be used to summon family for a dinner. It could also be a hand-sewn toys, with irregular shapes and bright colours - interesting, unique and from the first moment... so your own. 



Whether we like it or not gadgets are an integral part of our everyday life. It is enough just to sit behind a desk at your job and take a look around. We will find then a mug with the client's logo, a calendar with pictures of children playing toys made by a company "x" and under the computer mouse there is a pad from the last conference. So the only choice that we still have concerns whether gadgets of our company or event organized by us will be better, more interesting, more original and simply presenting a fresh view.

The investigation involving origins and a meaning of the word "gadget" may be considered closed. The inspector proved to be helpful, he has fulfilled his task. Now it only remains to draw up a report and await a promotion or... an original gadget.



Text: Agnieszka Furmańczyk