Courteney Cox, known for her role in “Dog the Lily,” along with Rivera Brent and King Zach, are celebrities who have been said to enjoy the internet lives of “The Grimace.” They claim to fake gruesome deaths and pretend to writhe in agony in purple puddles in their horror movie-inspired fashion clips.
Apparently, he is celebrating his 52nd birthday in the purple mascot’s honor. The limited-time birthday meal, which includes the debut of the vanilla-berry-flavored milkshake, took place on 12 June.
On Thursday, the corporation announced that the viral and unconventional trend on TikTok emerged shortly thereafter, gaining massive popularity with the hashtag #grimaceshake amassing a staggering 2.9 billion views. This trend played a significant role in propelling McDonald’s sales by over 10% in the U.S. During the second quarter and almost 12% worldwide.
Lift to aid in increasing revenue, the Fryer Frequent Program is helping the fast-food chain by offering new and digitally enhanced customer experiences. The chain’s menu, particularly its chicken items like McNuggets and Chicken, are also cited as contributing to this boost in revenue.
In a statement, Chris Kempczinski, the CEO of McDonald’s, expressed that the McDonald’s brand is currently at its peak and he continues to be amazed by the McDonald’s System’s capability to initiate cultural dialogues and pioneer groundbreaking advancements in the industry.
In a LinkedIn post in July, Huin Guillaume, the social media director of McDonald’s, denied creating the viral phenomenon in any part. McDonald’s cheekily responded to the dark trend on June 27 when Grimace tweeted on the account, pretending not to see the trendd shake.
Huin wrote, “Frazier Austin’s initial spark came from, and it was a level of fun, organic creativity and genius that I could never have dreamed of–it was all for the fans, both the dedicated ones and those who were just casual observers.” Referring to the TikToker who started the trend with a 10-second video, Huin now has over 3.6 million views.
The trend is to refrain from drinking them, then, refrain from drinking them, then, refrain from drinking them, then, refrain from drinking them, then, refrain from drinking them, then, refrain from drinking them, then, refrain from drinking them, then, refrain from drinking them, then, refrain from drinking them, then, refrain from drinking them, then, refrain from drinking them, then, refrain from drinking them, then, refrain from drinking them, then, refrain from drinking them, then, refrain from drinking them, then, refrain from drinking them, then, refrain from drinking them, then, refrain from drinking them, then, refrain from drinking them, then, refrain from drinking them, then, refrain from drinking them, then, refrain from drinking them, then, refrain from drinking them, then, refrain from drinking them, then, refrain from drinking them, then, refrain from drinking them, then, refrain from drinking them, then, refrain from drinking them, then, refrain from drinking them, then, refrain from drinking them, then, refrain from drinking them.
Huin attributed the achievement to the “excellent ingenuity, unrestricted enjoyment, highest level absurd Gen Z comedy” and “how a fresh cohort of makers and buyers engage with brands.”
When asked for comment, a McDonald’s spokesperson directed Fortune to the company’s earnings release and an earnings summary posted on its website.
‘Peak absurdist Gen Z humor’
In 1971, Grimace made his debut in a commercial as the best friend of Ronald McDonald, the best friend of Ronald McDonald. Some speculate that he is the embodiment of a Bud taste or a milkshake, with short legs and arms and a purple, amorphous blob.
McDonald’s informed NBC’s Today show that Grimace hails from Grimace Island and originates from an extensive clan (which includes his Grandma Winky, aunts Millie and Tillie, and his Uncle O’Grimacey!).
The unconventional mascot of Duolingo’s language-learning app, Gen Z’s absurdist humor advantage is not only taken off on social media, but it is also not limited to Grimace.
Duo, the green owl mascot of Duolingo, has become a TikTok personality with over 7.2 million followers through his range of videos, even proposing to Dua Lipa outside of Madison Square Garden. Users of Duolingo can skip their daily lessons if they want, but they should beware of veiled threats from Duo.
The unexpected popularity of the Grimace shake was acknowledged by Huin.
Huin wrote, “We greatly appreciate your thoughts, but we believe you may be overestimating us. Thank you so much. If you think we have planted the trend, we would appreciate it.”