Grimace was originally introduced in 1971 as a four-armed creature who stole milkshakes.
The character’s early design and role were considerably different from the friendly purple figure most people know today. Grimace was initially presented as a mischievous character with four arms, and his purpose in the advertising was connected to taking or guarding milkshakes. McDonald’s later simplified his appearance and changed his personality into that of a good-natured companion.
This redesign helped make Grimace more suitable for the expanding McDonaldland cast and for family-oriented advertising. His exact visual presentation changed over the years, but the purple color and large rounded shape eventually became his most familiar traits.
Grimace is often confused with the Hamburglar because both began as troublesome characters in McDonald’s advertising. Their roles were different: the Hamburglar targeted hamburgers, while early Grimace was associated with milkshakes. Later campaigns generally emphasized Grimace’s friendship rather than his original stealing behavior.