There are moments in sports when logic goes out the window. A team is down, hope has vanished, and fans resign themselves to yet another year of heartbreak.
Then, almost out of nowhere, something—or someone—shifts the energy.
Suddenly, the impossible feels possible again. The crowd buzzes with new life, the players move differently, and even the most skeptical onlookers start to wonder:
“What just happened?”
That’s exactly the kind of lightning-in-a-bottle moment the New York Mets experienced in the summer of 2024.
However, this wasn’t just about baseball; it was also about a guerrilla marketing masterstroke that blurred the lines between sport, culture, and brand storytelling.
A Pitch that Changed Everything
On June 12, 2024, Citi Field was supposed to host just another ceremonial first pitch. Over the years, plenty of celebrities had graced the mound for the honor.
… but this time, the guest of honor was far from your usual ballplayer, actor, or pop star.
It was Grimace—McDonald’s iconic purple character.
Photo from ABC News
The Mets were off to a dismal 0-5 start, the fan base had lost faith, and the season already felt like a wash.
… but after Grimace lobbed that quirky first pitch, something strange happened.
The Mets exploded with 14 hits and a win against the Miami Marlin. The following night?
Another victory. Then another. Soon, the team strung together seven straight wins.
Woah…
The sports world didn’t just take notice—it became obsessed. Fans and media dubbed the sudden turnaround, “The Grimace Effect.”
Photo from The Shorty Awards
McDonald’s and its creative partners— Wieden+Kennedy New York, Bodega, and Golin PR —recognized a golden moment when they saw one.
So, instead of letting the viral spark fizzle, they poured fuel on it, transforming what could’ve been a quirky one-off into a full-blown cultural wave.
They:
- Dressed McDonald’s X (formerly Twitter) account in Mets-inspired Grimace branding.
- Live-tweeted alongside fans during games, creating a two-way fandom frenzy.
- Took over a billboard outside Citi Field, cementing Grimace’s presence on Mets turf.
- Featured Grimace in the Mets’ 2025 schedule release video.
- Even convinced the Empire State Building to glow purple in honor of Grimace’s birthday.
Photo from X
Clearly, this wasn’t just marketing but also a guerrilla theater!
Grimace stopped being a mascot. He became a lucky charm, a rallying point, and a living meme that bridged fast food, baseball, and New York City dignity.
The Results
The beauty of the campaign was its unpredictability. Sports media outlets—from The New York Times to The Athletic —covered the phenomenon.
Fans created their own memes, hashtags, and lore around Grimace’s newfound baseball magic.
Even opposing teams weren’t safe—the Mets swept their crosstown rivals, the Yankees, while #TheGrimaceEffect trended across social platforms.
This wasn’t a story McDonald’s could have written on its own. Instead, it was the kind of grassroots cultural moment brands dream of—one born organically from fan energy, then nurtured by quick, clever amplification.
In fact, the numbers behind the campaign were staggering:
- 9.6 billion impressions across social and earned media.
- A top spot on Ad Age’s “Winners of the Week” roundup.
- Citi Field and beyond drenched in purple hype, with fans and media pushing the narrative forward.
… and most importantly for the fans?
The Mets clawed their way back into wild card contention after a season many had already written off!
That was nothing but AWESOME!
For McDonald’s, what started as a simple character appearance became a cultural juggernaut. For the Mets, it was a second chance at a season that once seemed doomed.
Why the Campaign Worked
The brilliance of “The Grimace Effect” lies in its simplicity. It wasn’t scripted, overproduced, or forced.
Instead, it played off timing, authenticity, and the power of collective belief.
By embracing the unexpected and giving fans ways to join in on the fun, McDonald’s and its partners didn’t just market a mascot but also gave a city something to believe in.
In the process, the campaign team created one of the most unforgettable guerrilla marketing campaigns in sports history.
—
Sometimes, the most powerful marketing doesn’t come from a perfectly polished plan but from knowing when to lean into culture and let fans carry the story.
“The Grimace Effect” is proof that brands who stay agile, spot the moment, and amplify it with creativity can turn a simple stunt into a billion-impression phenomenon.
For business leaders and marketers, the lesson is clear:
Opportunity favors the brands ready to react.
So, the next time your audience gives you an unexpected opening, don’t hesitate—swing for the fences!
About The Dynamic Marketing Communiqué’s
“Fridays: Gorillas of Guerrilla Marketing”
Jay Conrad Levinson (1984) said that Guerrilla Marketing “works because it’s simple to appreciate, easy to execute, and inexpensive.”
Guerrilla Marketing is unconventional.
Looking beyond the traditional ways of advertising, marketers and advertisers need to spice things up in order for their brand to have campaigns that not only make an impact but also stick to their target market’s mind.
Guerrilla Marketing usually aims to have direct contact with consumers.
This type of direct contact should spark an emotional reaction that leads to consumers effectively remembering the brand.
It’s about making a big impression and making that impression last a long time (if not forever).
Guerrilla Marketing can be inexpensive.
The effect of this is being able to create a buzz around the brand, and the strategy used to market it. Almost everything is passed around through word-of-mouth.
Word-of-mouth is one of the greatest outcomes and it usually doesn’t cost anything.
This is every business’ or brand’s dream!
Every Friday, we publish tips, examples, and other useful content on unconventional ways of marketing and promotion.
Learn more about how to grab your target market’s attention and make an amazing first and lasting impression without having to spend a lot of money.
Businesses don’t really need to spend much for a guerrilla campaign. You do not need a big budget to be successful. You just need creativity and a good imagination.
Hope you find this week’s guerrilla marketing insight interesting and helpful.
Stay tuned for next Friday’s “Gorillas of Guerrilla Marketing!”
Cheers,
Dyane Diasanta
Senior Content Writer
Valens Dynamic Marketing Capabilities
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