The internet has lost one of its most insatiable stars.
Grumpy Cat, known for her permanent grim expression of contempt, passed away Tuesday at the age of seven. The official Grumpy Cat Twitter account announced that she had died due to complications from a urinary tract infection.
The famous kitty, whose appearance comes from feline dwarfism and whose real name is Tardar Sauce, prompted the rise of influencer pets online. Her perpetual scowl helped her go viral on Reddit in 2012, and she has since made numerous personal appearances, including at SXSW, and has appeared in countless memes, commercials and even a movie.
At the time of her death, she had more than 8.3 million followers on Facebook, 2.5 million followers on Instagram and 1.5 million followers on Twitter. Some rankings estimate Grumpy Cat made $100 million from her film, media appearances, sponsorship deals and merchandise sales. An official online shop sells nearly 900 items with her face on it. So, although the face that launched a thousand memes is gone, it’s likely the cat’s image isn’t going anywhere.
At Ad Age, we often post roundups of ads and moments in advertising in remembrance of celebrities who have passed on, and Grumpy Cat, who has won a special place in the history of the internet, is no exception.
Grumpy Cat Grumppuccino (2018)
In 2013, Grumpy Cat owner Tabatha Bundesen partnered with Grenade Beverage to market a line of iced coffees called Grumpy Cat Grumppuccino using the cat’s image. But the company allegedly tried to sell a line of coffee grounds and T-shirts using the cat’s image as well, which was not part of the original deal. For that, Grumpy Cat won $710,000 for copyright and trademark infringement. The case marked an important step in endorsement and merchandise deals with pet social influencers. And yet, as multiple stories about the lawsuit pointed out—the cat was still not smiling.