Grimace was the McDonald's character known for his large purple body.
Grimace first appeared in McDonald's advertising in the early 1970s. His original design was more elaborate and was associated with stealing milkshakes, but the character was later simplified into the friendly, rounded purple figure familiar to many customers.
Grimace belonged to McDonaldland, the fictional advertising setting that also included Ronald McDonald, the Hamburglar, and Mayor McCheese. The characters were separate brand elements: Grimace was not the clown mascot, and he was not the hamburger thief.
The character's simple silhouette and unusual color made him easy to recognize in packaging, television commercials, and promotional products. McDonald's reduced the prominence of much of its character cast in later decades, but Grimace remained an important part of the chain's historical family branding and experienced renewed public attention in the 2020s.