McDonald's Reveals Grimace Merch

We try not to get political, but the United States is SEVERELY lacking in one crucial category: Grimace.

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The McDonald’s mascot got his 15 minutes of fame in 2023, aka the year of The Grimace Shake, but where has the love been since then? We’ll tell you where: Singapore, where they’re honoring Grimace with not just a shake, but a full line of merch.

Who (or what) is Grimace?

Grimace is a McDonald’s mascot. He’s a seemingly amorphous purple blob that resembles an off-brand Barney. He’s well-loved, but what is he? Does it matter? Is love truly blind?

All great questions, but we can only answer the first: Grimace is a taste bud. As McDonald’s manager, Brian Bates, dropped on CBC News, Grimace is not just a grape that’s halfway between vine and raisin, but an “enormous taste bud.” Never would have guessed, probably won’t come up in conversation, but now ya know.

What’s the Grimace Shake?

The U.S. already had a 2023 run of The Grimace Shake, a limited-edition, purple, kind of berry-flavored milkshake. It was tasty, but the hype came mostly from the surrounding trend of filming yourself drinking the shake as part of staging a horror movie scene, often ending up unconscious, foaming at the mouth with purple liquid. A little weird? Yes. Better than eating Tide Pods? Definitely.

What about the new Grimace merch?

Singapore McDonald’s already won by bringing back the shake, which became available on March 19th, and now they’re wiping the floor with U.S. McDonald’s by also selling Grimace merch. They’ve leaned into the character with weekly Grimace-inspired merch drops, including a tumbler, a plush, a puffer bag, and a car decal.

The tumbler is a members’ exclusive, the plush and puffer bag are an added cost with selected meals, and the car decal is available upon request at drive-thrus.

Grimace is also taking over Bugis Junction, a shopping mall in downtown Singapore. If you spot him and scan the QR code, you can score deals on the McDonald’s app.

We don’t know why we’re telling you this because it’s only relevant if you go to Singapore, which we’d know if you were doing because you’d offer to take us with you, right? Right?

About the Author

Hebba Gouda is a freelance contributor to Sporked who will die on the hill that a hot dog is not a sandwich. She’s proud to spend weekends falling asleep at 9 p.m. listening to podcasts, always uses the Oxford comma, and has been described as “the only person who actually likes New Jersey.” She’d love to know how on earth she somehow always has dirty dishes, if donkeys hear better than horses, and how the heck you’re doing today? Hopefully swell - thanks for reading!