The Grimace Shake is the latest trend storming TikTok — and it’s pretty dark.
Inspired by McDonald’s loveable mascot Grimace — and a limited-edition milkshake to celebrate his birthday — Gen Z has taken to creating mini horror films on social media.
Taste-test videos of the Grimace Shake take a dark turn when TikTok users film themselves having adverse reactions to the shake, with some videos looking like they’re straight out of a scary film.
So what is the Grimace Shake and what is the TikTok trend it has inspired?
What is the Grimace Shake?
Early in June, McDonald’s announced that they would be launching a meal and a milkshake based on the purple monster (and Ronald McDonald’s best friend), Grimace.
McDonald’s describes Grimace as a fuzzy purple creature from Grimace Island, who is known for his friendly and playful personality, plus his love of milkshakes.
The famous fast-food chain is celebrating its 52nd birthday with a limited-edition meal — The Grimace Birthday Meals — which come with either McNuggets or a Big Mac, plus fries and a milkshake.
The Grimace Shake is a limited-edition milkshake that reflects Grimace’s “iconic color and sweetness”. It’s made with a “creamy vanilla soft serve blended with Grimace shake syrup and finished with whipped light cream”.
The meals launched in the US on June 12 and they’re only available at certain restaurants in the US for a limited time.
“Our fans have amazing childhood memories of their birthdays at McDonald’s... and Grimace’s Birthday is all about paying homage to the amazing, fun moments we all share,” said Tariq Hassan, chief marketing and customer experience officer at McDonald’s USA.
“We’re excited to put a modern spin on these memories to continue to drive McDonald’s relevance with a new generation. Grimace is the perfect lovable icon to have McDonald’s meet our fans at the intersection of nostalgia and culture.”
What is the Grimace Shake TikTok trend?
The Grimace Shake TikTok trend sees people film themselves trying the new McDonald’s shake, with dire (though fictional) consequences.
The videos often see people “passed out” or “vomiting” after trying the drink, while others have taken things a step further and set up crime scenes or scenes that could be straight out of a horror film.
The purple shake is typically splattered around them, or drenched over the person’s face and body.
However, a recent TikTok video showed that McDonald’s workers aren’t totally enamoured with the new trend.
In the video, a customer is heard asking whether the drink had to be ordered as part of a meal. After being told they could be ordered on their own, he asked for five. In response, the employee fell silent.
meee pretending i don't see the grimace shake trendd pic.twitter.com/ZTcnLTESC8
— McDonald's (@McDonalds) June 27, 2023
“The silence was so loud,” the on-screen text read. “McDonalds tired of this.”
McDonald’s has since responded to the trend on Twitter with a picture of Grimace with the caption: “meee pretending i don’t see the grimace shake trendd.”
Is the Grimace Shake still available?
Unfortunately, for those still yet to get their hands on the viral drink, it looks like it is no longer available.
McDonald's appeared to say goodbye to the shake in a somewhat vague tweet.
"U made me feel so specialll ty say goodbye grimace nowww," the tweet reads.
However, as the limited edition shake was introduced to celebrate Grimace’s birthday, there’s a chance it could return a year from now for his next birthday...
