Grimace is the purple, pear-shaped character from McDonaldland.
McDonald’s introduced Grimace as part of its fictional advertising world, where characters represented a playful setting surrounding the restaurant brand. Grimace was originally presented differently from the friendly character familiar to later audiences, but the company eventually established him as a large, purple, good-natured figure with a simple, child-oriented personality.
His unusual shape and color made him immediately recognizable in print advertisements, television commercials, toys, and restaurant promotions. Unlike a product logo, Grimace functioned as a character that could appear in stories and interact with Ronald McDonald and other McDonaldland figures.
Grimace is often confused with the Hamburglar or Mayor McCheese. The Hamburglar is associated with stealing hamburgers, while Mayor McCheese has a cheeseburger for a head. Grimace’s defining visual traits are purple coloring, a rounded pear-like body, and his place among McDonaldland’s friendly characters.