McDonald's taps into childhood nostalgia with new Grimace-themed video game

McDonald’s has tapped into childhood nostalgia by collaborating with Krool Toys on an exclusive video game, to celebrate the 52^nd birthday of its purple biped mascot Grimace.

Grimace is a McDonald’s fan-favourite known for his signature fuzzy purple look, friendly and playful personality, love for shakes and is said to come from Grimace Island, according to a statement by the brand.

Available from 12 June, the new video game allows users to immerse themselves in Grimace's world as he races around classic McDonald's birthday scenes to find his friends, such as Birdie and Hamburglar, all in a quest to cut his birthday cake. The video game is a 2D retro style game with controls similar to that of a Game Boy Colour that can be played on a computer or mobile phone.

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Furthermore, consumers can dress to impress in Grimace-inspired merch, available to purchase beginning 12 June on GoldenArchesUnlimited.com, while supplies last. In lieu of gifts, fans can help drive a donation to Ronald McDonald House Charities (RMHC) to support families in need. From 13 to 14 June, fans can visit McDonald's Instagram story and share a picture of their favourite birthday memory via the "add yours" sticker. For every picture shared, the brand will donate US$5 to RMHC up to US$200k.

Continuing the spirit of Grimace’s celebrations, the fuzzy purple creature also took over McDonald’s official social media accounts such as Instagram and Twitter with a close up shot of itself and the caption “it grimace i’m taking over” on 6 June. This surprising takeover has drawn positive sentiments with many netizens feeling excited about the comeback of Grimace, a check by MARKETING-INTERACTIVE saw on Instagram.

"Our fans have amazing childhood memories of their birthdays at McDonald's...and Grimace's Birthday is all about paying homage to the amazing, fun moments we all share," said Tariq Hassan, chief marketing and customer experience officer at McDonald's USA.

He further added, "We're excited to put a modern spin on these memories to continue to drive McDonald's relevance with a new generation. Grimace is the perfect lovable icon to have McDonald's meet our fans at the intersection of nostalgia and culture."

Back in May, McDonald's China wowed Chinese consumers with a new Chicken McNugget-shaped handheld gaming device for Tetris (俄羅斯方塊).

The gaming company announced the news on its Twitter on 25 May, and said the new device is only available at McDonald's in China for a limited period of time. "What happens when Tetris meets a Chicken McNugget? Exclusively available at McDonald's in China for a limited time, fans can play Tetris on a Chicken McNugget game device," said the tweet.

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