McDonald's Grimace returns—why the chain keeps leaning into nostalgia

About two months after it brought back the Hamburglar, McDonald's is putting the spotlight on another one of its classic characters—Grimace.

The 52-year-old jolly purple blob takes the starring role in a new campaign pushing the Grimace Birthday Meal, which includes a berry-flavored purple milkshake. The effort comes as the chain breathes new life into its McDonaldland characters in a bid to use nostalgia to connect to old and new consumers.

The new Grimace Birthday Meal will include a choice of a Big Mac or 10-piece McNuggets with fries, along with the purple milkshake. McDonald’s is also releasing a 1990s-inspired mobile and desktop game, a line of Grimace-themed merch, Grimace Snapchat filters and a commercial starring the purple mascot. The meal will be available at participating restaurants nationwide starting June 12, while supplies last.

Ads for the new campaign from Wieden+Kennedy New York will run on TV, connected TV and paid social. An ad showing Grimace celebrating his birthday through the years at McDonald’s was shot new, but inspired by archival footage.

The new meal continues McDonald's nostalgic marketing streak. Late last year, the company rolled out an adult Happy Meal in partnership with streetwear brand Cactus Plant Flea Market, which included toys of Grimace, Birdie and the Hamburglar in the style of the streetwear brand. Then in April, the Hamburglar returned to tell customers that burgers would be getting slight tweaks for “meltier cheese” and “a better sear.” 

Read more: Behind McDonald's Cactus Plant Flea Market strategy

“McDonald’s nearly 70-year legacy allows us to have real equity in nostalgia,” JJ Healan, VP of U.S. marketing, brand, content, and culture, wrote in an email. “The fandom around our McDonaldland characters is a perfect example of that. Our fans have amazing memories of the characters from over the years, and now we’re putting them back in the spotlight but in a way that’s fresh and relevant for a new generation.” 

The Grimace meal is meant to recall childhood birthday parties at a McDonald’s PlayPlace, the indoor or outdoor playgrounds sported by some locations. Since the playgrounds have become less common, the brand has opted to transfer some of that nostalgia onto Grimace.

“​​Only select restaurants in the U.S. still offer the PlayPlace and birthday parties at the restaurant,” Healan wrote. “But we know so many of our fans grew up celebrating their birthdays with McDonald’s, so we’re excited to help recreate those moments of nostalgia for them with Grimace’s Birthday celebration.” 

As for why the brand is celebrating Grimace’s birthday in June? “He’s super loveable and in touch with his emotions, so it totally makes sense for him to be a Cancer,” wrote Brandon Henderson, creative director at Wieden+Kennedy, referring to the character's zodiac sign.

The nostalgic play makes sense in today’s environment, according to Keith Reinhard, chairman emeritus at DDB Worldwide, who helped land the McDonald’s account in 1970 for the agency then known as Needham, Harper, and Steers, and created the Hamburglar.

“I think people who are now in their 40s or 50s remember being a kid and going to McDonald’s,” Reinhard said. “There is something about that nostalgia, some certainty of a past time. That’s probably a good thing given how disconnected some people feel during these turbulent times. Facing an uncertain future, they can connect with the past.”

McDonald's is also using the campaign to build one-to-one connections with consumers, via Twitter and text messaging. Grimace took over the brand's Twitter account on Monday afternoon, asking users to text a number. Those who did so were asked to opt-in to receive McDonald's marketing messages via text, followed by a message from Grimace promising to send “secrets about McDonald's” to those who agreed and shared information such as their time zone.

Related: How McDonald's is promoting its loyalty app

McDonald’s isn’t the only brand leaning into nostalgia. Last week, Wendy’s released a music video with T-Pain for “Buy U a Frosty,” a reimagined version of the rapper’s 2007 hit song “Buy U a Drank,” for the return of the Strawberry Frosty. Taco Bell has started bringing back fan favorites including the enchirito and the spicy Volcano Menu. DDB’s Reinhard even pointed to the recent “The Super Mario Bros Movie,” which is based on the characters that got their start in a classic arcade game. Despite mixed reviews, the movie has grossed $1.3 billion at the global box office, becoming the second-biggest animated film of all time, second to “Frozen II,” which grossed $1.65 billion.

“It’s not that nostalgia marketing hasn’t existed before now,” said Ernest Baskin, associate professor of food marketing at Saint Joseph’s University. “I think it’s surfacing more now because of the pandemic. We came out of a time where social connection and being together was at a premium, so brands are trying to recreate that, going back to the way things were prior to the pandemic.” 

The new Grimace meal is also a business decision. Grimace is already part of McDonald’s character intellectual property and, similar to McDonald’s celebrity meals, the Birthday meal mostly recasts existing menu items. The approach has proven to drive new demand without requiring a ton of research and development. The most recent Cardi B and Offset meal included a cheeseburger with BBQ sauce and large Coca-Cola, a Quarter Pounder with cheese and a large Hi-C Orange Lavaburst, along with a large fry and an apple pie to share, all items already available on McDonald’s menu.

Read more about the Cardi B and Offset meal

Grimace comes without the potentially hefty cost of a celebrity partnership. It is also different in other ways, suggested Baskin. 

“Celebrity meals targeted folks who were already fans [of the celebrity],” said Baskin. “If you’ve never heard of Travis Scott, you might not want that meal. It’s bringing musical artists’ fans to McDonald’s. But the new meal targets someone who has a history with the brand.”

The new meal also has the opportunity to start building McDonald’s character relationships with members of Gen Z and late millennials, and possibly give them a connection to a version of the brand that their parents remember. 

“I think that younger generations who didn't grow up with these characters might be curious about them,” said Adam Chandler, journalist and author of “Drive-Thru Dreams.” “They might feel like they are being welcomed into a confederation of generations. If the people around you grew up with them, but they have no resonance for you, there might be excitement to be gained by interacting with these characters. It sounds silly, but if you listen to people talk about core memories and cultural artifacts, having access to them probably means something.”

Older McDonald’s fans might remember that the original Grimace, introduced in 1971, had four arms, one for each milkshake that the fast food chain offered, according to Reinhard. “He was created because he had a big belly and he shook a lot, so he was about shakes,” he said. Grimace originally went by Evil Grimace because he was hellbent on stealing milkshakes.

Grimace’s backstory was further filled in during a 1999 episode of the animated series “The Wacky Adventures of Ronald McDonald,” where viewers learned that Grimace was from Grimace Island and has a large family, including his Grandma Winky, aunts Millie and Tillie, his brother King Gonga and his Irish Uncle O'Grimacey, a green version of a Grimace who is associated with McDonald’s green Shamrock Shake.