McDonald's x The Grinch 2025: How Holiday IP Takeovers Help Fast Food Win

When the McDonald's x The Grinch collaboration lands in restaurants, it is more than a themed box and green graphics. The Grinch Meal turns everyday items like a Big Mac and fries into a Christmas occasion, complete with throwback Dill Pickle McShaker Fries and collectible socks. For McDonald’s, this is the latest proof that the right holiday IP can refresh core products and make McDonald's Holiday menu items feel new without rebuilding the kitchen. For a general overview of McDonald's marketing, read our deep dive!

• McDonald's x The Grinch centres on a limited-time adult Happy Meal.
  
• Nostalgia, merch, and familiar food do the heavy lifting together.
  

At a Glance

• Dr. Seuss’s The Grinch Meal launches across U.S. McDonald’s restaurants on December 2, 2025 as a limited-time adult Happy Meal. (McDonald’s, ABC News)
  
• The meal includes a Big Mac or 10-piece Chicken McNuggets, a medium drink, and Dill Pickle “Grinch Salt” McShaker Fries plus Grinch socks.
  
• A multichannel campaign covers TV, Times Square OOH, sports, streaming, and gaming, inviting fans to “embrace their inner Grinch.” (Marketing Dive)
  

What’s Actually In McDonald's x The Grinch Meal

The U.S. McDonald's x The Grinch Meal is a straightforward adult Happy Meal built from familiar favourites with one mischievous twist. Guests choose either a Big Mac or a 10-piece Chicken McNuggets, add a medium drink, and get fries served with Dill Pickle “Grinch Salt” McShaker seasoning; a 90s relic brought back just for this promo. Each box comes with a pair of fuzzy Grinch socks in different colours, featuring characters like the Grinch and Max, which instantly shifts the perception from “combo” to “holiday treat.” (McDonald’s, People)

• The build uses core kitchen SKUs, keeping operations simple.
  
• McShaker Fries add novelty and nostalgia in one move.
  
• Socks turn the McDonald's Holiday menu items into giftable “merch.”
  

The IP Takeover: Letting The Grinch “Run” The Store

In official copy, McDonald’s frames the stunt as the Grinch “taking over” the restaurant and “sneaking” his way onto the menu. That shows up in more than just box art: Dr. Seuss-style rhymes, bright Grinch greens, and hand-drawn textures spill across packaging, digital menu boards, and in-app visuals. The McDonald's x The Grinch collaboration also extends into a TV commercial and a gaming-focused creator program, where The Grinch appears in chaotic holiday scenarios that match his personality more than McDonald’s usual tone. (McDonald’s, Marketing Dive)

• The brand borrows The Grinch’s voice, humour, and look to humanise the experience.
  
• IP integration goes beyond packaging into language and behaviour.
  
• McDonald's x The Grinch feels like a temporary “takeover,” not just a logo swap.
  

Adult Happy Meals + Holiday Nostalgia = Demand

McDonald’s has already learned that adult Happy Meals can generate huge demand when they combine nostalgia with collectibles. The McDonald's x The Grinch collaboration applies that formula to December, targeting adults who grew up with The Grinch and remember McShaker Fries from the 1990s. Calling it a “Grinch adult Happy Meal” makes it clear this is not only for kids and positions socks as the grown-up parallel to toys. (Axios, NBC DFW)

• Adult Happy Meals let McDonald’s tap childhood memories without diluting kids’ offers.
  
• Nostalgic menu elements reduce the risk of new McDonald's Holiday menu items flopping.
  
• The Grinch IP bridges family audiences and older fans in one character.
  

Holiday Menu As “Seasonal Event”

In both the UK and U.S., McDonald’s treats the festive menu as a short seasonal chapter with its own story and cast. The UK 2025 festive range wraps The Grinch Meal, Grinched McShaker Fries, Mischief McFlurry, Grumble Pie, and drinks like Coconut Latte under one Grinch banner, so every item feels like part of the same universe. (McDonald’s UK, The Sun) In the U.S., The Grinch Meal slots in alongside the returning Holiday Pie, which adds another nostalgic McDonald's Holiday menu item to the mix. (People)

• Holiday menus are structured as limited “worlds,” not isolated items.
  
• IP simplifies brand messaging: everything is “Grinch” rather than a random list of names.
  
• Seasonal structure helps customers know when and what to try before it’s gone.
  

Testing Abroad Before The U.S. Rollout

The McDonald's x The Grinch collaboration first appeared in Canada for the 2024 holidays, with a similar build: choice of Big Mac, McChicken, or 10-piece nuggets, Dill Pickle McShaker Fries, drink, and mismatch Grinch socks. (McDonald’s Canada) Social posts and reports from the UK’s 2025 festive menu show early buzz around Grinch Fries, Frozen Grinch Lemonade, and Mischief McFlurry, underscoring the IP’s pull. (McDonald’s UK, GB News) Those tests gave McDonald’s confidence to bring McDonald's x The Grinch to its biggest market with a heavier campaign spend.

• International pilots de-risk new McDonald's Holiday menu items and bundles.
  
• Canada and the UK validated the socks + McShaker Fries combo.
  
• Strong earned media abroad justified a bigger U.S. launch.
  

The Campaign: TV, Times Square, Streaming, And Gaming

The McDonald's x The Grinch collaboration is backed by more than in-store POP: McDonald’s worked with Wieden+Kennedy New York on a mischief-filled TV spot, plus placements across broadcast, sports, streaming video, audio, and mobile gaming. (DesignRush, Marketing Dive) The creative leans into The Grinch’s chaotic energy, stealing fries, messing with décor, to cut through the wall of feel-good Christmas ads. That integrated push turns the McDonald's x The Grinch collaboration into a full-funnel holiday presence rather than a single promotion.

• IP-backed creative justifies broader media investment during peak season.
  
• Gaming integrations acknowledge how much holiday attention lives in games now.
  
• Mischief-driven storytelling helps McDonald's stand out from purely sentimental campaigns.
  

Why Holiday IP Takeovers Work For Fast Food

McDonald's x The Grinch is the latest in a long line of IP tie-ins that treat the restaurant like a pop-culture stage. By borrowing existing emotional equity from characters like The Grinch, McDonald’s can make small product tweaks; seasoning on fries, socks, a box feels like a big event. In a crowded QSR category, that kind of borrowed storytelling gives McDonald's Holiday menu items a narrative edge while keeping kitchen changes minimal.

• IP takeovers offer a shortcut to emotional resonance and instant recognition.
  
• Limited windows and collectibles drive trial, repeat visits, and social sharing.
  
• The model scales: the same structure can plug in different IP year after year.
  

FAQ

What is McDonald's x The Grinch collaboration?

McDonald's x The Grinch collaboration is a limited-time holiday partnership with Dr. Seuss Enterprises built around The Grinch Meal adult Happy Meal and a themed campaign.

What is in Dr. Seuss’s The Grinch Meal?

The Grinch Meal includes a Big Mac or 10-piece Chicken McNuggets, a medium drink, Dill Pickle “Grinch Salt” McShaker Fries, and a pair of Grinch socks. 

When is McDonald's x The Grinch available in the U.S.?

In the U.S., The Grinch Meal is available at participating McDonald’s from December 2, 2025, for a limited time while supplies last.

Is The Grinch Meal considered an adult Happy Meal?

Yes, McDonald’s positions Dr. Seuss’s The Grinch Meal as a festive adult Happy Meal, swapping toys for collectible socks. 

Why does McDonald’s use characters like The Grinch for its Holiday menu items?

McDonald’s uses well-known characters to add nostalgia and storytelling to McDonald's Holiday menu items, driving incremental visits and social buzz around familiar food.