Social media trends come and go at lightning speed. However, every now and then, a trend emerges that captivates the masses and takes the internet by storm. Enter the Grimace shake trend – an unexpected sensation that has dominated social media platforms – particularly TikTok – and kept McDonald’s in the spotlight. 
The Rise of the Grimace Shake Trend
Grimace is a McDonald’s character that has been all but forgotten for decades. It wasn’t until 2023 that McDonald’s chose to re-embrace the character by celebrating its birthday. As part of this celebration, McDonald’s offered merchandise, a video game and charitable donations. McDonald’s also unveiled a new drink: The Grimace Shake.
McDonald’s marketing campaign was clearly targeted at a younger generation. In the build up to the birthday celebration, McDonald’s changed its social branding to completely embrace Grimace. It also shared posts that some might find corny, yet resonated with this audience. For example, this tweet served up the perfect meme template.
McDonald’s put on a masterclass on how to create buzz for a new product with a younger generation, but it couldn’t have predicted its virality.
On June 13, a day after officially launching the Grimace Shake, a fan posted on TikTok showing his first taste… and the “wild aftermath” that followed. The result? A viral sensation that spread like wildfire across social media platforms.
Social media users, always on the lookout for the latest trends, quickly caught on to the #GrimaceShake hashtag. People from all walks of life began sharing their own “experiences” of the effects of a Grimace Shake. The trend exploded, attracting millions of views, likes, and shares across Instagram, TikTok, and Twitter.
The Genius Strategy of User-Generated Content
User-generated content (UGC) has become an invaluable marketing tool in recent years, allowing brands to connect with their audience on a deeper level. McDonald’s astutely recognized the potential of the Grimace Shake trend and seized the opportunity to generate free publicity through UGC.
The videos have nothing to do with the taste and doesn’t necessarily speak positively about the Grimace Shake. An old marketing strategy might look at this as a failure, but in 2023, this is marketing gold. Users are trying to capitalize on the trend by using branded hashtags, such as #GrimaceShake. This has effectively turned customers into free brand advocates.
McDonald’s has smartly embraced the trend, by not necessarily condoning it, but acknowledging it for the fans. That tweet has nearly five million views.
The Grimace Shake trend has provided McDonald’s with a multitude of benefits, far beyond just free publicity. These include:
- Increased brand awareness
- Enhanced engagement
- Product innovation and experimentation
- Valuable customer insights
The Grimace shake trend represents a prime example of the power of user-generated content in today’s marketing landscape. McDonald’s seized the opportunity to turn a social media trend into a marketing goldmine, leveraging the creativity and enthusiasm of its customers to generate free publicity and strengthen its brand presence. As other companies look for ways to leverage social media trends, the Grimace Shake trend serves as a valuable lesson in the art of embracing and harnessing the creativity and passion of consumers to drive marketing success.