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McDonald’s new Grimace milkshake may look sweet and unsuspecting, but according to TikTok, it packs a punch.<\/p>\n
McDonald’s revived its 52-year-old Grimace character in honor of his birthday on June 12 with a limited-time shake and signature meals. Although McDonaldland characters like Grimace and Hamburglar haven’t been commercialized since the 2000s, Grimace has gone viral with Gen-Z TikTokers.<\/p>\n
In the clips, people can be seen trying the Grimace milkshake and wishing him a happy birthday, but upon taking a sip they can be seen faking their death, usually surrounded by a puddle of purple. In accordance with Today<\/a>TikToker @ruiz_alv04 was the first to start the viral trend with a video<\/a> shared on June 24. Known as one of McDonald’s villains, the parody videos are an ode to Grimace’s mischievous nature.<\/p>\n RELATED: Chairs Bought From Facebook Marketplace Were Likely Stolen From McDonalds: ‘I Always Wondered Where They Were From’<\/p>\n @kameryn.paige<\/a> She grimaced#grimacesshake<\/a> #grimacesanniversary<\/a> \u266c The Attic – Colin Stetson<\/a><\/p>\n @guaquamolinjabenis<\/a> He will be missed #grimacesshake<\/a> #mcdonalds<\/a> #trends<\/a> \u266c Grimace Sounds – Jon and Eli<\/a><\/p>\n As of Thursday morning, #grimace has amassed 934.5 million views on TikTok and #grimaceshake has garnered 819.2 million views.<\/p>\n Even McDonald’s CMO Matt Shaver got on board with the trend.<\/p>\n @mattxshaver<\/a> The response to the Grimace Shake has been so positive I thought I’d give it a try myself! Thank you all!! #grimacesshake<\/a> #mcdonalds<\/a> #grimeta<\/a> \u266c Corporate music – AndrisMusic<\/a><\/p>\n McDonald’s then took to Twitter with Grimace’s response to the trend.<\/p>\n miee pretending not to see the grimace trend pic.twitter.com\/ZTcnLTESC8<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 McDonald’s (@McDonalds) June 27, 2023<\/a><\/p>\n RELATED: McDonald’s Is Apparently Selling Puff Pasties, And The Internet Is So Confused: ‘I Feel Like I’m In A Parallel Timeline’<\/p>\n While the trend may not be watering everyone’s taste buds, it has ultimately worked in McDonald’s favor.<\/p>\n “What may seem like a negative expression is actually a positive reflection of their ability to connect with a generation,” said Matthew Prince, assistant professor of social media and influencer marketing at Chapman University. CNN<\/a>. “It’s getting the views, it’s getting the laughs, and as the viral trend grows, it’s getting the sales.”<\/p>\n