grimace shake trend
/ˈɡrɪməs ʃeɪk trɛnd/
CommonA 2023 TikTok trend where people film themselves drinking McDonald's Grimace Birthday Shake, then cut to a fake death scene.
McDonald's PR response was unusually good. They posted from Grimace's account pretending not to notice the chaos, which made it funnier. The brand engagement is part of why this one is remembered.
Real-world examples4 examples
| # | Example | What it means | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| 01 | just got the grimace shake. been nice knowing y'all | Joking that drinking it will end them, referencing the trend. | tiktok, 2023 |
| 02 | grimace shake era was the most unhinged brand moment and mcdonalds just watched and smiled | Looking back on how bizarre the whole thing was and how well McDonald's played it. | x, 2023 |
| 03 | my energy drink this morning was basically the grimace shake. typing from the floor | Something made them feel awful in a comedic way. | x, 2023 |
| 04 | they brought back the grimace shake. the prophecy continues | Treating a shake restock as lore. | tiktok, 2024 |
Use it when
- Referencing the specific McDonald's shake and the fake death format.
- Talking about 2023 viral food trends.
- Discussing brand moments where a company handled a weird meme well.
Do not use it when
- You just mean any food that looks purple or gross.
Origin and context
McDonald's released a limited purple Grimace Birthday Shake in late June 2023 to celebrate Grimace's birthday. TikTok users quickly turned it into a fake-death format. McDonald's Grimace account responded by posting an oblivious, cheerful tweet that went viral alongside the memes.
- First seen
- 2023
- Confidence
- high
Cite this page
Use this stable URL to reference the entry.
https://slang.fyi/grimace-shake-trendUpdated: 2026-08-28License: CC BY 4.0