The Creepy Commercial That Outlived Its Philly Ice Cream Company

It's 2012, you're in Philadelphia, and you're craving ice cream. When you mention it to your friends, they immediately tell you that there's a new company called Little Baby's Ice Cream, and that you have to watch its commercial. But when you actually see the TV spot, all your hopes and dreams are dashed when you're greeted by the sight of a wide-eyed man covered in white ice cream. As he looks straight into the camera — and into your soul — he smiles like someone about to commit a horrific crime, and starts eating the ice cream off his own head. Yes: He's eating his own head, and loving it.

And, as you watch, a weirdly calm voice-over tries to convince you that if you consume the company's products, you're going to be happier. You're too horrified to look away, because the ice cream man's unhinged gaze makes you feel like something bad will happen if you do. And when the commercial finally ends, all you can do is stare straight into the void, and feel sad for the irrevocable loss of your innocence. Your ice cream craving has now turned to repulsion... but now you want to find other friends who will share your pain as fellow victims of this ad.

This is how we imagine that this very much real commercial became viral, and how it has stayed viral for 14 years. As of November 2024, this short horror film has over 21 million views, with more coming in every day. Little Baby's Ice Cream, however, didn't fare so well: The company folded in 2019.

We all know that a good food ad can boost sales, (like the best Super Bowl ads), but a bad commercial can also ruin business. While there may have been some curious Joes who tried their products after seeing the ad, many of us were instantly suspicious of the Philadelphia-based company. As YouTube user Its.Yuiiwy so eloquently wrote, "I'm having nightmares tonight." Honestly, we'd rather eat Kraft's mac-n-cheese ice cream (which is actually good) or make this no-churn, Choose Your Own Adventure ice cream recipe than watch this commercial again.

Clearly, not everyone was on the same page as us. Little Baby's Ice Cream not only survived a good seven years after the ad but also opened locations in Philadelphia, Baltimore, and Washington, D.C., where customers were treated to ice cream flavors like pizza (why?), Earl Grey Siracha (again, why?), and CBD-infused ice cream (which explains a lot). But again: Who actually went there after seeing that commercial? That's a mystery as big as why on Earth someone would call their company Little Baby's Ice Cream. Is the baby making the ice cream, or are we stealing it from them? And why is a baby having ice cream?  Sadly, we'll never get answers.