Grimace was introduced in 1971 as a McDonald’s advertising character and later became known for his purple appearance.
Early versions of Grimace were different from the friendly, simple character familiar to later audiences. The original design had multiple arms and was associated with stealing milkshakes, while later advertising simplified him into a large, purple, gentle companion for Ronald McDonald.
Grimace became part of the McDonaldland cast, a fictional advertising setting created to give McDonald’s mascots a shared world. His limited speech, rounded shape, and expressive reactions made him especially recognizable in television commercials and promotional materials.
People sometimes confuse Grimace with other McDonaldland characters because the campaign used many mascots at once. Grimace is the purple character, while Mayor McCheese and Birdie have separate designs and roles.