Mix-Ins: Victoria Roedel and Mike Weiss of Ice Cream Social Blend Marketing With Frozen Treats

How hot fudge and jimmies enhance their ROI

Victoria and Mike are the co-founders of Ice Cream Social, a Chicago-based digital creative agency. They also own and operate a fleet of vintage ice cream trucks, serving nostalgia and sweetness far and near. Spanning their careers, clients have included Taco Bell, PepsiCo, NBC Sports and the Los Angeles 2028 Summer Olympics bid.

We spent two minutes with Victoria and Mike to learn more about their backgrounds, their creative inspirations and recent work they’ve admired. 

Victoria and Mike, tell us …

Where you grew up, and where you live now.

• Victoria : Queens, Long Island, N.Y. I’m a New Yorker now living in Chicago. I love the summers and holiday season here. However, I’ll always be a Mets fan. Sorry, Cubbies.
• Mike: I grew up in the suburbs of Detroit and now live in Chicago after stops in Minneapolis, London, NYC and San Francisco. 

How you first realized you were creative.

• Victoria: Growing up, I was a total bookworm who loved getting lost in a good story. I was obsessed with Harry Potter and read the series cover to cover multiple times. I also developed an early interest in fashion and discovered a passion for thrifting, as a way to express myself, which remains a big part of my life today.
• Mike: I LOVED decorating with Christmas lights as a kid. During the holiday season, I would offer to help my neighbors decorate their houses by using innovative patterns, colors and designs. 

A person you idolized creatively early on.

• Victoria: My grandmother, Freida Nerangis, is one of my greatest inspirations. She immigrated from Greece to New York City and, against all odds, became a songwriter and producer of Crown Heights Affair, a disco group. Their song “Dreaming a Dream” reached No. 5 on the Billboard Soul chart in 1975. She was an incredibly strong woman who overcame a lot of adversity. Her kindness, creative influence and zest for life have profoundly shaped the person I am today.
• Mike: The urbex photographers of Detroit during the late 1990s and early 2000s. When I was growing up there, Detroit was at its absolute worst, and there were many abandoned buildings. Daring photographers would “urbex” (or “urban explore”) these buildings and post the photos on sites like Flickr. Seeing these at an early age jump-started my interest in photography, architecture and the potential of Detroit as a comeback city.

A moment from high school or college that changed your life.

• Victoria: During my senior year of college, I studied in Singapore, and it was a transformative experience. Traveling solo, especially at a young age, is something I believe everyone should try. It opened my eyes to new cultures and perspectives while building my confidence, independence and love for adventure. I toured ad agencies in both Singapore and China, which ultimately inspired my career.
• Mike: Studying in the U.K. and Ireland in college profoundly changed my perspective—specifically in the context of what it means to be an American. 

A visual artist or band/musician you admire.

• Victoria: Charli XCX. She’s living proof that it takes 10 years to become an overnight success. Also as a Scorpio, I really connect with Sympathy Is a Knife. The raw honesty cuts deep.
• Mike: Ben Gibbard of Death Cab for Cutie. Ben’s lyrics mix poetry with music in a way that lets you close your eyes and be transported to the setting and mood he’s singing about. 

A book, movie, TV show or podcast you recently found inspiring.

• Victoria: Book: Steal Like An Artist by Austin Kleon. It acknowledges that nothing is original. We all draw inspiration from others and, most importantly, from our life experiences. In the age of social media, it offers a valuable perspective on creativity, originality and following your interests.
• Mike: I recently found inspiration in a Wikipedia article I read during a work trip to New York. I tend to dive into the history of places I visit, and this time, I learned about Terminal City, an early 20th-century development around Grand Central Terminal. In 1913, the area transformed when NYC replaced steam engines with electric trains, allowing tracks to be covered and entire city blocks to be built above them. This innovation led to landmarks like the Biltmore and the Commodore Hotel—now the Grand Central Hyatt, where I happened to be staying. It’s fascinating how urban planning and technology reshaped Manhattan.

One of your favorite creative projects you’ve ever worked on. 

• Victoria: I helped launch a content program for Cole Haan in partnership with Hypebeast, Forbes and The New York Times. Through native content featuring the inspirational stories of young entrepreneurs, we positioned Cole Haan as a partner in the career journeys of Gen Z and Millennials. 
• Mike: Helping the city of Los Angeles win the bid for the 2028 Olympics by deploying a comprehensive international social media strategy. 

A recent project you’re proud of.

• Victoria: Ice Cream Social’s work for T-Mobile at Lollapalooza 2024. We created a social-first activation with custom T-Mobile popsicles and an ice cream cart at Club Magenta. By offering experiential services at festivals and events as part of our business, we created a unique and buzzworthy moment, blending our worlds of marketing and ice cream. The activation generated an incredible amount of earned media, engaging TikTok stars like Madeleine White and Paige Taylor, who posted organically about the experience.
• Mike: Helping Waterloo Sparkling grow their sales and shelf space 40 percent in a flat category through smart and savvy influencer and media planning. 

Someone else’s work that inspired you years ago. 

• Victoria: The ALS Ice Bucket Challenge. In 2014, it shifted how we use platforms and marked the moment people started to take the power of social seriously. It also sparked a new direction for the industry, paving the way for influencer marketing and establishing short-form video as a key tool.
• Mike: The bus shelter ads for Caribou Coffee. They were made to look like ovens with photos of breakfast sandwiches baking and actual heating elements to keep bus riders warm.

Someone else’s work you admired lately. 

• Victoria: Jimmy John’s “Picklewitch.” This is a perfect example of how social can influence product decisions. It’s also proof that you don’t necessarily need a huge budget to grab attention. Pickle sandwiches have been trending on TikTok for a while, and JJ listened. They worked with a handful of TikTok creators to announce the product, and the internet ran with it. Most importantly, the Picklewitch delivered–it sold out insanely fast.
• Mike: Diet Coke’s recent shift in social strategy. They departed from the old guard CPG playbook, focusing entirely on Gen Z vibes and aesthetics. 

Your main strength as a creative person.

• Victoria: Resourcefulness. Running a creative agency requires a ton of problem-solving and finding both innovative and affordable solutions.
• Mike: I approach every challenge by asking “How can we do this?” Instead of focusing on the reasons why we can’t.

Your biggest weakness.

• Victoria: Imposter Syndrome. It’s a common challenge for many creatives, especially women. In a highly competitive industry, it’s easy to fall into the trap of constant comparison.
• Mike: Trying to do too many things at once. 

A mentor who helped you navigate the industry.

• Victoria: Roxy Dinh is one of the smartest women I know and one of my closest friends. Watching her expertly manage multi-million-dollar media budgets, while using creative insights to shape strategy and drive results, has left a lasting impression. She taught me about resilience and how to problem-solve with grace. 
• Mike: Nicole Weltman was an inspiration to me during our Laundry Service days. As the all-knowing VP on our account team, she demonstrated strategic and thoughtful leadership across Bud Light, LG and NBC Sports. I learned so much from watching her in action.

How you’re paying it forward with the next generation of creatives.

• Victoria: Sharing my knowledge with others by publishing articles, posting on LinkedIn and speaking on podcasts and at industry events. Plus mentoring peers and colleagues.
• Mike: By being loud about the flaws in the advertising industry in an effort to steer it in a better direction for future generations.

What you’d be doing if you weren’t in advertising.

• Victoria: YouTuber or content creator traveling the world to share incredible food and cultural experiences. Alternatively, I could see myself working in healthcare or as a therapist. I have a knack for staying calm in high-pressure situations and genuinely enjoy listening to others and helping to improve their lives.
• Mike: Filmmaker