Carvel (restaurant) - Novelty Ice Creams

Novelty Ice Creams

Carvel popularized various ice cream "novelty" items, such as the "Flying Saucer", a circular ice cream sandwich, the "Icy Wycy," a paper cone of sherbet on a stick, "Brown Bonnet" and "Cherry Bonnet," frozen vanilla ice cream on a sugar cone dipped in a sweet, waxy confection, the "Tortoni," a cup of vanilla ice cream covered with toasted coconut and topped with a maraschino cherry, and the "Lollapalooza," cylindrical ice cream on a stick covered with colored sprinkles, as well as the "Mamapalooza" and "Papapalooza."

The mainstays of Carvel's line of ice cream cakes were 7", 8", 9", 10" and 12" rounds, 10"x14" and 12"x17" sheet cakes, and the "Carvelog," a log-shaped cake made in a cylindrical mold. In addition to Cookie Puss, there were special cakes for most major holidays, including a "Flower Basket" for Mother's Day, "Hoot The Owl" for June graduations, "Dumpy the Pumpkin" and "Wicky The Witch" for Halloween, "Tom the Turkey" for Thanksgiving, "Seamus The Leprechaun" for St. Patrick's day, and a "Snow Man" for Christmas. Most of these were made from one of a limited number of molds and their primary differences from products available year-round were the designs on the icing.

Carvel introduced the Lil' Love ice cream cake on March 30, 1998. The commercials, which first appeared in its introduction, show small children in special situations, such as losing a baby tooth, starring in a class play, getting an A in a school class, and getting new glasses (sung to the tune of "Ta-ra-ra Boom-de-ay"). A mother presents the new cake to celebrate. All ads carry the tag line Surprise someone special tonight.