The Grimace Shake is a McDonald's promotional beverage featuring a purple/pink color tied to the Grimace character from McDonald's Land marketing. The shake became notable for its unusual appearance and the novelty of a major fast-food chain releasing a character-themed drink. The meme format includes photos and videos of the shake, reactions to its appearance, and commentary on its taste. The meme worked through the inherent absurdity of corporate fast-food marketing creating quirky promotional items.

McDonald's released the Grimace Shake as part of 50th-anniversary celebrations for the Grimace character (a large, blob-shaped character from McDonald's classic marketing materials). The shake was available for a limited time only, creating urgency for customers to purchase and share content. The novelty of a character-themed fast-food drink in the social media age made it instantly memeable. The sensation captured how fast-food chains were attempting to capitalize on viral trends and social media engagement.

The Grimace Shake had minimal lasting cultural impact, existing primarily as a brief summer 2023 trend tied to a limited-time product. The thing did demonstrate fast-food brands' awareness of social media trends and their attempts to create viral moments. The short lifespan of the trend illustrated how novelty-based memes have limited durability. The meme became emblematic of summer 2023 marketing attempts.