Brandweek

McDonald’s Is Riding the Grimace Wave, and It’s All Thanks to the Fans

Head of U.S. marketing Jennifer Healan spoke at Brandweek about how the brand went viral with Grimace–and boosted business along the way.

McDonalds at Brandweek — McDonald's Jennifer 'JJ' Healan (right) speaking to Snap Inc's Katelyn Kroneman at Brandweek about the viral Grimace campaign.Ivan Piedra Photography

By Brittaney Kiefer

Leaders from Glossier, Shopify, Mastercard and more will take the stage at Brandweek to share what strategies set them apart and how they incorporate the most valued emerging trends. Register to join us this September 23–26 in Phoenix, Arizona.

You could call 2023 the Year of Grimace.

The McDonald’s mascot became a TikTok sensation this summer after the brand unveiled a purple milkshake to celebrate the furry blob’s birthday. Mini mock horror films of people trying out the Grimace Shake went viral. In McDonald’s July earnings call, CEO Chris Kempczinski partly attributed the 10.3% quarterly rise in U.S. sales to the Grimace effect and the power of the brand’s marketing.

But McDonald’s secret sauce is more than a recipe for a brightly colored milkshake.

Brittaney Kiefer

Brittaney is Adweek's European creativity editor.

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