TikTok trends refer to viral challenges, dances, songs, effects, and other content that gains widespread popularity on the TikTok social media app. TikTok trends have the ability to spread rapidly thanks to the platform’s algorithm and engaged user base. When a TikTok video goes viral, it often inspires users to create their own version or iteration, further amplifying the trend. This viral effect is what propels certain songs, dances, challenges and more to gain millions or even billions of views across the app in a short amount of time. TikTok trends capture the attention of users because they are fun, creative, and interactive. The most popular trends provide an opportunity for TikTok users to participate in a shared experience with a community of millions.
Origin
The Grimace Shake TikTok trend originated in late June 2023, shortly after McDonald’s released a limited-edition Grimace-themed milkshake to celebrate the 52nd birthday of the Grimace mascot. The purple, berry-flavored shake was added to menus on June 12th as part of a larger Grimace Birthday promotion.1
On June 16th, TikTok user @calebcity posted a video satirizing the unusual purple color of the milkshake, pretending to drink it and then stumbling around before collapsing.2 The video went viral, gaining over 27 million views in a week. Soon, other TikTokers began posting their own videos drinking the Grimace Shake and then pretending to have dramatic reactions, often falling over or freezing in place. This became known as the “Grimace Shake challenge.”
Popularity
The Grimace Shake TikTok trend went hugely viral in the summer of 2022, with videos using the hashtag #GrimaceShake amassing over 2.9 billion views on the platform as of July 2022 according to this Fortune article. The shake was one of the most popular food mash-up trends on TikTok that summer, generating a lot of buzz and attention from consumers.
According to this Numerator article, Grimace Shake buyers were a particularly valuable customer for McDonald’s compared to the average ice cream and shake buyer, helping drive sales growth for the fast food chain.
Format
The typical format of a Grimace Shake video is to showcase someone blending up a purple, berry flavored milkshake. Most videos start by showing all the ingredients including vanilla ice cream, frozen berries, and purple food coloring. The creator then dumps the ingredients into a blender and blends it up until smooth and fully purple. Some videos will pour the shake into a clear cup to showcase the color before drinking it. The key elements seem to be highlighting the abnormal purple color and the person’s reaction after tasting the oddly colored shake.
Some popular formats include challenging friends to make their own Grimace Shake or pretending to not know who Grimace is when questioned about the peculiar drink. Overall, simplicity and humor tend to work best to achieve a viral Grimace Shake video.
Influencers
Some of the top creators who participated in the Grimace Shake trend include Charli D’Amelio, Noah Beck, Nessa Barrett, Madi Monroe, and Josh Richards. Charli D’Amelio, who holds the record for most TikTok followers of any creator at over 152 million, posted a video trying the trend that received over 28 million views. Her boyfriend Noah Beck also joined in on the trend. Popular influencer couple Nessa Barrett and Josh Richards filmed a video together doing the Grimace Shake challenge that earned over 17 million views.
Madi Monroe, known for her comedy and transition videos, tried the challenge in a video that racked up nearly 10 million views. Her video showed her attempting to drink the thick shake through a straw with hilarious results. Many top comedians and creators known for humor jumped on the trend as well to create funny reaction videos. Overall, the viral nature of the trend led to widespread participation among top TikTok influencers across genres. Their videos helped further popularize the meme and circulate it to larger audiences on the platform.
Brand Response
McDonald’s issued an official response to the Grimace Shake trend after it went viral on TikTok. In a statement to People, McDonald’s said they were aware of the trend and appreciated the love for the milkshake, but wanted to remind customers to enjoy their shakes responsibly.
“We are aware of the fake ‘Grimace Shake’ trend being circulated online and appreciate the love for our iconic treats. But just like our other menu items, the Grimace Shake should be enjoyed responsibly,” the statement read.
McDonald’s asked customers to avoid any dangerous behaviors and encouraged families to “enjoy our shakes together for a cool summertime treat.” The fast food giant maintained that their real Grimace Shake was simply a sweet, purple treat for all to enjoy.
While McDonald’s responded lightly to the viral trend, they made it clear they did not endorse any dangerous behaviors associated with the fake “Grimace Shake” videos. Their statement aimed to promote responsible enjoyment of their milkshakes.
Controversy
The Grimace Shake trend sparked some backlash and criticism. Some people felt that the videos of teens pretending to have seizures or die after drinking the shake were making light of serious medical conditions like epilepsy. Disability advocates spoke out saying the trend was “ableist” and spread stigma about disabilities.
For example, the Epilepsy Foundation released a statement saying “The Foundation is aware of an alarming social media trend involving mimicking convulsive seizures in videos, sometimes associated with consumption of food or beverages. We discourage the falsification of seizures and note the potential dangers of mimicking seizure activity. We urge social media networks to intervene in stopping harmful content.”
Others criticized the trend as irresponsible and dangerous, since it could potentially encourage risky behavior in younger viewers. There were concerns that kids seeing the dramatic reaction videos might try to recreate them, putting their safety at risk.
According to an article on Wikipedia, some speculated the trend was an intentional viral marketing strategy by McDonald’s to promote the new Grimace Shake to younger audiences. However, McDonald’s denied this and distanced themselves from the controversial meme.
Impact
The Grimace Shake TikTok trend had a significant cultural impact beyond just boosting sales for McDonald’s. As reported by The Numerator, over 8% of Grimace Shake buyers were from Gen Z, showing the trend’s popularity with younger demographics. The shake became a viral meme and cultural sensation, permeating social media and pop culture. Artists referenced the purple shake in lyrics, Fortune reported, and it inspired Halloween costumes and merch. The Grimace character saw a resurgence in relevance and became a nostalgic callback for Millennials. Beyond sales, the trend made a noticeable cultural impact, widely referenced across media and reinventing an iconic fast food mascot for a new generation.
Decline
After peaking in popularity in early July 2023, the Grimace Shake trend began to fade later that month. Several factors contributed to the decline:
By mid-July, many TikTokers and viewers had grown tired of the repetitive format. What started out as a novel and shocking idea had become predictable and boring for some. Engagement and views on new Grimace Shake videos started to decrease as people lost interest.
Additionally, backlash against the trend grew as some criticized it as insensitive or overly graphic. Major brands like McDonald’s spoke out against harmful viral challenges, further discouraging participation. According to one article, “The ‘Grimace Shake challenge’ has helped drive double-digit increases in traffic at McDonald’s,” but this traffic boost was short-lived.
By late July 2021, searches related to the Grimace Shake began to decline as measured by Google Trends data. Phrases like “grimace shake death” and “is the grimace shake dangerous” peaked in early July and then dropped off. This article notes the viral challenge “helped drive double-digit increases in traffic at McDonald’s” but this boost was temporary as the trend lost momentum.
While shocking viral hits often spike and then fade quickly, the Grimace Shake exhibited an even more rapid decline than usual. After flooding TikTok in early July, new posts using the hashtag #grimmaceshake slowed to a trickle by the end of the month. Though it generated lots of buzz initially, the Grimace Shake trend burned out fast as viewers and creators moved on to the next viral meme.
Summary
The Grimace Shake TikTok trend quickly rose to fame and just as quickly fizzled out. It involved users shaking violently in a silly manner while dressed up as the McDonald’s mascot Grimace. Videos showed people flailing around in Grimace costumes to electronic music drops.
The trend went viral because of its absurd and hilarious nature. Seeing someone flop around wildly while dressed as a purple fast food mascot made for funny and shareable content. Top creators like CodeyJPop and brOwenDoyle helped popularize the trend through their popular Grimace Shake videos.
But the trend was short-lived, likely because it was limited in scope. While the initial videos were entertaining, the joke got old relatively quickly. Without much variety, the Grimace Shake trend burned out rapidly after reaching peak popularity. Still, it provided some laughs while capturing the culture of viral TikTok fads.
