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As a product discovered over 150 years ago within a Pennsylvania drilling site, the modest tin of Vaseline could hardly be considered an obvious target for social media algorithms.

However, its rise as a TikTok talking point has placed it at the forefront of an advertising revolution, where major corporations are allocating substantial funds to content creators and putting fewer resources into marketing items in traditional media.

From Oil Rigs to Online Hacks

First created commercially in the 1870s by a chemist, Robert Cheeseborough, who saw laborers applying to their skin with a byproduct of the drilling process. Currently, a wave of user-generated videos have documented the product’s widespread use in “everyday tips”.

Hailed as a remedy for cleaning shoes or extending perfume longevity, and also a remedy for squeaky doors. Its use has even extended to stop the scourge of chip seasoning clinging to fingers.

Leveraging the Buzz

Spotting its digital renaissance, marketers at Unilever amplified the hacks by having their research teams evaluate the claims and sharing the findings with influencers.

Suggestions that it lessened the sensation of spicy food on lips were validated. This was also the case for ideas it could lengthen scent duration and restore leather handbags. Claims that it would bleach teeth or make eyelashes longer were debunked.

The ‘Social Listening’ Strategy

Billboards and TV ads would once have been the cornerstone of its marketing push. But the Vaseline phenomenon has led decision-makers to dramatically increase investment in content creators.

This tracking of digital spaces to inform business strategy has been labeled “social listening”. Fernando Fernández, newly named, has suggested it is aiming to spend 50% of its massive marketing spend on digital creator content.

Shifting to Modern Engagement

Selina Sykes, who is leading the online push, said the company was just evolving with contemporary approaches of connecting with customers. She said participating on platforms “without dampening the fun” was essential.

“How can companies join discussions credibly? This has perpetually been our aim as brands, back to when people were hanging out their laundry and talking about what they used.

“There’s this moving away from a mass communication approach, where we would just broadcast out … Currently, it's countless discussions, diverse communities. The evolution of platform algorithms means that these communities feel niche, but they’re not.

“Having your brand advocated by other people, mentioned by individuals, this builds credibility and connection. Content makers are key. We’re really scaling this advocacy model.”

A Seismic Media Shift

This plan mirrors dramatic transformations taking place in media consumption, with younger consumers spending more time on digital networks than legacy broadcast and print media.

The transition is visible in drops in TV and print advertising. In the UK, advertising income for leading TV channels have fallen by more than £600m in inflation-adjusted terms since 2019.

Influencer Marketing Expansion

Additionally, it points to a merging of functions as brands effectively act as media producers, linking up with a multitude of digital creators to enhance their items.

A commercial director at a major talent agency said: “Naturally, an exodus of attention from conventional channels and their time is increasingly on digital video and image apps than they are consuming linear broadcasts or printed matter.

“Numerous corporations inform us audiences believe endorsements from the individuals they follow compared to commercial messages. This is a persistent pattern.”

He noted companies can reduce costs by investing in creators over large-scale legacy ad buys, which also allows them to tweak their content more easily to see what works.

This strategy is expanding. Promotional expenditure on digital creator partnerships is growing fourfold quicker than total media spending. Stateside, it has over doubled since 2021 and is projected to reach multi-billion dollar sums in 2025.

The Enduring Power of Broadcast

Regardless of the massive shift, executives said they believed TV advertising still had a prominent role to play, as networks still held the capability to drive countrywide discourse.

The executive noted: “A top-tier ROI marketing event is still the Super Bowl. The issue isn't broadcasters claiming: ‘We are no longer pertinent.’ It’s about who’s capturing attention … I think there’s 100% a place for them.”