# The Grimace Effect

> A Grimace first pitch became a Mets rallying symbol with 9.6B claimed impressions.

- Owner: Fans; McDonald's and New York Mets extended the meme
- Kind: Meme & format
- Sector: Food & beverage
- Seed date: 2024-06-13
- Peak date: Week of Oct 12, 2024
- Date basis: Dates use the stated precision; chart positions are date anchors.
- Spread Score: 48 (Notable), v1.2
- Mechanics: Real-world spectacle, Platform jump, Press loop, Identity badge, Fandom mobilisation

## Summary

After a sponsor-arranged first pitch, fans linked Mets wins to Grimace in posts and costumes. McDonald’s and the Mets added lights, a seat and a subway activation. As the team reached the NLCS, Google searches for “Grimace Mets” peaked in the October 6–12 week.

## Timeline

- 2024-06-12 — SNY Mets (X) — SNY Mets posted the sponsor-arranged Grimace first pitch before the Mets played the Marlins.
- 2024-06-13 — Nicole (@nostunkelocin) (X) — Nicole posted that the Mets were 1-0 since Grimace threw the first pitch.
- 2024-06-13 — Sports Business Journal (Press) — Sports Business Journal included the first-pitch clip in its Morning Buzz roundup.

The full timeline, metrics and sources are on the case page, or via the Pro API (https://howitspread.com/developers).

Canonical URL: https://howitspread.com/cases/grimace-effect-mets

Cite as: How It Spread (2026). “The Grimace Effect.” Case HIS-00196. Spread Score v1.2: 48/100. Updated 2026-10-13. https://howitspread.com/id/HIS-00196