The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 4 letter word HYPE
I've seen this crossword clue in The Daily Telegraph
H
Y
P
E
More clues leading to the result HYPE
- Build up healthily, filling out with exercise
- Plug hole’s rims accept variable pressure
- Endlessly overexcited to find intensive sales promotion
- Trophy perhaps enshrines promotion
- Vigorously promote optimism, with young primarily replacing old
- Publicity stunt? It stimulates artificially
- Publicity embraced by flashy people
- Weepy hardly holds back effusive promo
- Promotion of extremely holy place
- Pushy person’s exaggerated publicity
Buddy explains!
The straight part
We know that "Sales gimmick" is the straight/definition part of the clue. The straight part is often a synonym or definition, in this case sales gimmick = hype.The cryptic/wordplay part
In cryptic crossword there's often an wordplay/cryptic part as well.This part involves a more complex hint, such as an anagram, homophone, hidden word, etc.
Sadly, We don't have an explanation for this specific crossword clue yet.
What does HYPE mean?
HYPE noun- Promotion or propaganda; especially exaggerated claims.
- To promote heavily; to advertise or build up.
- Hyped.
- Excellent, cool.
- A drug addict.
- A throw in which the wrestler lifts his opponent from the ground, swings him to one side, knocks up his nearer thigh from the back with the knee, and throws him on his back.
- To throw (an opponent) using this technique.