- McDonald's didn't care about Grimace's birthday this year.
- Grimace didn't get a happy birthday post on the chain's Instagram or TikTok and his special purple shake hasn't returned to US menus.
- Fans are sad. They want to slurp his shake and pretend to die again.
After spoiling him rotten last year, McDonald's has completely ignored Grimace's birthday in 2024.
The McDonald's mascot made a comeback in 2023 when the burger giant released a limited-edition Grimace Shake to celebrate his birthday on June 12.
The fuzzy purple blob, believed by some to be a taste bud or a milkshake, became an internet sensation as TikTokers posted videos of themselves pretending to be injured or even dying after drinking the shake.
The trend generated huge buzz for McDonald's, which sold the shake as part of the Grimace Birthday Meal. The mascot's 52nd birthday celebrations appeared in a number of social media posts by the chain in June and July, before McDonald's said that it was "time to say goodbye" on July 5.
Since then, Grimace has barely appeared on McDonald's social media. It was his birthday again on Wednesday, and the chain was completely silent.
The Grimace Shake is back on menus in Canada, but Americans have been left empty-handed.
Fans are confused and upset. They've been commenting on McDonald's latest Instagram post, which promotes its Grandma McFlurry, to ask whether the Grimace Shake is returning. On TikTok, dozens commented on McDonald's most recent video on Thursday to wish the mascot a happy birthday.
McDonald's reaped the success of Grimace's birthday promotion last year, with Gen Zs scrambling to get their hands on his birthday shake so they could join in the viral trend.
"It quickly became one of our most socially engaging campaigns of all time with millions of reactions on our social media posts, a true demonstration of how the power of our brand emerges in organic and creative ways in our fans," McDonald's CFO Ian Borden told investors last year. "It contributed to the strong double-digit comparable sales growth for the quarter in the US."
If McDonald's was hoping it could replicate the success of the Grimace Shake with this summer's Grandma McFlurry — which also plays on feelings of nostalgia — then it's got another thing coming.
