Whether you’ve attended an epic party at the PlayPlace or swapped the fancy dinner for what you were really craving (hello, McNuggets), we know birthdays with McDonald’s hold a special place in our fans’ hearts. Now, we’re inviting everyone to create new birthday memories with us… this time, in honor of their fuzzy purple bestie. Get your party hat ready, ‘cause we’re celebrating Grimace’s birthday.

Starting June 12, fans can get in on the festivities with the Grimace Birthday Meal—featuring a limited-edition purple shake inspired by Grimace’s iconic color and sweetness. The meal also comes with the choice of a Big Mac or 10-piece Chicken McNuggets, and World Famous Fries. Some other ways to toast to Grimace’s birthday this month include:

• Break out the b-day games: We’re launching an exclusive video game in collaboration with Krool Toys, where you can immerse yourself in Grimace’s world as he races around classic McDonald’s birthday scenes to find his pals – like Birdie and Hamburglar – all in a quest to cut his birthday cake. The game will be free to play on desktop and mobile beginning June 12.
• Get your party outfit on: Dress to impress in Grimace-inspired merch – from tees to socks – available to purchase beginning June 12 on GoldenArchesUnlimited.com, while supplies last.
• In lieu of gifts: Fans can help drive a donation to a charity near and dear to Grimace – Ronald McDonald House Charities (RMHC). RMHC is there when families need them most, and Grimace couldn’t think of a better way to mark his birthday occasion than by having fans join him in giving to those in need. From June 13–14, fans can visit McDonald’s Instagram story and share a picture of their favorite birthday memory via the “add yours” sticker. For every picture shared, we’ll donate $5 to RMHC up to $200k.

 

“Our fans have amazing childhood memories of their birthdays at McDonald’s…and Grimace’s Birthday is all about paying homage to the amazing, fun moments we all share,” says Tariq Hassan, Chief Marketing and Customer Experience Officer at McDonald’s USA. “We’re excited to put a modern spin on these memories to continue to drive McDonald’s relevance with a new generation. Grimace is the perfect lovable icon to have McDonald’s meet our fans at the intersection of nostalgia and culture.”

For those just realizing how little you actually know about your purple pal…Grimace is from Grimace Island and comes from a huge family (including his Grandma Winky, aunts Millie and Tillie and his Uncle O’Grimacey!) Our timeless bestie has become a fan-favorite known for his signature fuzzy purple look, friendly and playful personality, love for shakes, and of course – ambiguous nature. What exactly is Grimace? Perhaps we’ll never know…