Shaking things up with Grimace on the road

AUCKLAND, Today: McDonald’s and DDB have hit the road in New Zealand to celebrate the launch of the iconic purple Grimace Shake.

The campaign features Grimace, McDonald’s famous purple character, on a road trip with Kiwi comedian Joe Daymond. They’re cruising in a furry, purple Grimace-wagon, visiting iconic New Zealand landmarks and dropping in at Macca’s locations to make sure Kiwis get a taste of the limited-edition shake.

“In markets around the world, the very purple Grimace Shake has become a viral phenomenon,” says Luke Rive, Marketing Director McDonald’s New Zealand.

“We wanted to make sure that when it hit New Zealand, New Zealanders would have a reason to get excited about it and make the friendly Grimace feel right at home. This campaign adds just the right Kiwi flavour to the iconic shake.”

“In markets around the world, the very purple Grimace Shake has become a viral phenomenon.” – Luke Rive

DDB’s Chief Creator Officer, Gary Steele, shared the excitement. “It really brought out the inner child in all of us, and teams across every area of the Group put their hands up to get involved and work with this McDonald’s icon,” says Gary.

Up for the challenge of introducing Grimace to Aotearoa, DDB Managing Partner Karla Fisher says, “There is something so inherently Kiwi about a roadie, and we Kiwis are a friendly bunch; we love to welcome visitors from foreign shores and to show off what’s uniquely ours.

Taking Grimace on the road felt like a no-brainer. Like the shake itself, a trip around New Zealand is all about expecting the unexpected.”

Kiwis are being invited to keep an eye on the Macca’s app and social media platforms to follow Grim and Joe’s roadie. In a world first, Grimace is taking over the McDonald’s app and turning it into his own social network.

Launching on October 23, the vibrant purple shake will be available for a limited time. Grimace can’t wait to share “shakeys with Kiwis” up and down the motu.