# McDonald's: Grimace's Birthday

> Fans filmed fake deaths; the agency reported 160,000 birthday videos.

- Owner: McDonald’s
- Kind: Campaign
- Sector: Food & beverage
- Seed date: 2023-06-14
- Peak date: Week of Jul 9, 2023
- Date basis: Dates use the stated precision; chart positions are date anchors.
- Spread Score: 63 (Viral), v1.2
- Mechanics: Remixable template, Challenge, Mascot persona, Platform jump, Press loop

## Summary

McDonald’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.

## Timeline

- 2023-06-05 — McDonald’s / Grimace (X) — Grimace took over McDonald’s Twitter account and announced the takeover in a reply.
- 2023-06-06 — McDonald’s USA (Press) — McDonald’s announced a birthday meal, purple shake, merchandise and a game made with Krool Toys.
- 2023-06-12 — McDonald’s USA (Retail) — The Grimace Birthday Meal and Shake went on sale at participating US restaurants.

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/mcdonald-s-grimace-s-birthday

Cite as: How It Spread (2026). “McDonald's: Grimace's Birthday.” Case HIS-00281. Spread Score v1.2: 63/100. Updated 2026-10-13. https://howitspread.com/id/HIS-00281