Grimace (character)
| Grimace | |
|---|---|
 | |
First appearance | November 1971 |
| Created by | McDonald's Corporation |
| Portrayed by |
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| Voiced by |
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| In-universe information | |
| Species | Grimace |
| Gender | Male |
| Occupation | McDonaldland character |
| Affiliation | McDonaldland |
| Relatives |
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| Home | Grimace Island |
Grimace is a fictional character and mascot used in advertising by the McDonald's fast food restaurant chain. A large, rounded, purple anthropomorphic creature with short arms and legs, Grimace first appeared in November 1971 as part of McDonald's McDonaldland advertising campaign. Originally introduced as a villain known as "Evil Grimace," the character was quickly reimagined as a friendly good natured figure and became one of McDonald's most recognisable mascots alongside Ronald McDonald.[1][2][3]
In 2023, Grimace became a widespread internet phenomenon after McDonald's released a limited edition "Grimace Shake,"[4] and the character experienced a further resurgence of cultural prominence in 2024 when his ceremonial first pitch at Citi Field was associated with a dramatic winning streak by the New York Mets.[5]
History
[edit]Creation and Evil Grimace
[edit]Grimace made his first appearance in November 1971 as part of the newly launched McDonaldland advertising campaign, which McDonald's created to appeal to young children. In this original form, the character was known as "The Evil Grimace" and was depicted as a large, scaly creature with four arms in two pairs whose sole purpose was to steal milkshakes and soft drinks from the residents of McDonaldland.[1][6][7]
Redesign and McDonaldland
[edit]Following the early negative response to Evil Grimace, McDonald's stripped away his extra pair of arms and transformed him into a soft, rounded, two armed creature with a gentle, good natured personality. Now Grimace was repositioned as one of Ronald McDonald's closest friends rather than a foil.[6][8][9][10]
Identity
[edit]There has been decades of fan speculation about Grimace's true nature. Theories from a living milkshake to an amorphous blob. McDonald's has confirmed that Grimace is intended to represent a giant anthropomorphic taste bud.[11][1][12]
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- 1 2 3 "What Is Grimace? All About McDonald's Beloved Purple Character Who's Actually a Taste Bud". People.com. Archived from the original on December 2, 2025. Retrieved June 13, 2026.
- ↑ "Grimace, McDonald's Purple Character, Leaves The Internet Confused". NPR. September 8, 2021. Archived from the original on July 27, 2025. Retrieved June 19, 2026.
- ↑ "McDonald's (1971, Commercials) Voice Cast". Voice Chasers. Archived from the original on December 16, 2014. Retrieved June 21, 2026.
- ↑ Placido, Dani Di. "McDonald's 'Grimace Shake' Meme, Explained". Forbes. Archived from the original on June 24, 2026. Retrieved June 13, 2026.
- ↑ Rahmanan, Anna (October 8, 2024). "Grimace just rode the 7 train to the Mets game at Citi Field". Time Out New York. Retrieved June 13, 2026.
- 1 2 Roy T. Bergold Jr., former vice president of advertising at McDonald's, writing in QSR Magazine (2012)
- ↑ "Grimace from McDonald's used to be evil. | Dinosaur Dracula!". September 25, 2017. Retrieved June 14, 2026.
- ↑ "Purple place: Mets unveil the new Grimace seat at Citi Field". AP News. September 17, 2024. Retrieved June 13, 2026.
- ↑ "What is Grimace? McDonald's manager shares the truth about beloved purple character". ABC7 San Francisco. September 7, 2021. Retrieved June 13, 2026.
- ↑ Panella, Chris. "A history of Grimace, the bizarre McDonald's mascot now making a comeback as a queer meme icon". Business Insider. Archived from the original on August 16, 2025. Retrieved June 14, 2026.
- ↑ Cove, Madeline (August 5, 2025). "McDonald's confirms the true identity of Grimace after years of confusion and viral internet theories". The Nightly. Archived from the original on February 17, 2026. Retrieved June 14, 2026.
- ↑ "What is McDonald's Grimace character supposed to be?". WBAL. September 10, 2021. Archived from the original on November 18, 2024. Retrieved June 19, 2026.
External links
[edit]
Media related to Grimace (mascot) at Wikimedia Commons