The Grimace Shake meme exploded onto the scene in June 2023, coinciding with a McDonald’s promotional campaign for the 52nd birthday of their iconic purple mascot. What began as a standard fast-food promotion quickly spiraled into a viral 'horror' trend on TikTok and social media. Creators would film themselves taking a sip of the limited-edition purple milkshake and wishing Grimace a happy birthday, only for the video to cut to a staged, surreal, or dark scene showing them covered in purple liquid in a variety of bizarre locations. This subversion of corporate marketing turned the purple drink into a symbol of internet chaos, blending dark humor with high-production value to create one of the most recognizable memes of the year.