McDonald's: Grimace's Birthday
Campaign · 2023 · Viral
Fans filmed fake deaths; the agency reported 160,000 birthday videos.
Spread Score
How it worksNumbers
- Agency claim: campaign impressions in WARC retrospective
- 9.7B
- As of May 13, 2024 · Self-reported · WARC / Chane Rennie and Tass Tsitsopoulos
- Peak date
- Week of Jul 9, 2023
- Jun 14 ’23 to Week of Jul 9, 2023
- Platforms
- 6
- Started on TikTok
- Origin
- Mixed
- Food & beverage
How it spread
Trace the originMcDonald’s launched a birthday meal and purple shake. Frazier’s staged death became a format copied on TikTok and X, then discussed on Reddit. AP linked the promotion to earnings that beat forecasts and a rise in McDonald’s shares.
Dates use the stated precision; chart positions are date anchors.
13 more events on this chart
Join free to see themTimeline (16)
June 2023
McDonald’s / Grimace precursor · Jun 5 ’23
Grimace took over McDonald’s Twitter account and announced the takeover in a reply.[1]
McDonald’s USA precursor · Jun 6 ’23
McDonald’s announced a birthday meal, purple shake, merchandise and a game made with Krool Toys.[2]
McDonald’s USA precursor · Jun 12 ’23
The Grimace Birthday Meal and Shake went on sale at participating US restaurants.[2]
Changelogupdated Oct 13 ’26
- Added: 16 events, 20 sources · Score 63
Spread the same way
New cases, every week
How the next thing spread, the week it does.