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Originally found over 150 years ago within a Pennsylvania drilling site, the modest tin of Vaseline may not seem like an natural focus 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 investing heavily in content creators and putting fewer resources into promoting products in conventional outlets.

From Oil Rigs to Online Hacks

The petroleum jelly was first manufactured in the 1870s by chemist Robert Cheeseborough, who observed drillers applying to their skin with a derivative of drilling. Today, a spree of user-generated videos have chronicled its broad application in “everyday tips”.

Promoted as a fix for dirty sneakers or prolonging the scent of perfume, along with a cure for squeaky doors. Users have even applied it to prevent the annoyance of snack dust adhering to hands.

Capitalising on the Conversation

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

Assertions that it diminished the burn from hot food on the lips were validated. This was also the case for ideas it could prolong perfume and rejuvenate purses. Suggestions it could bleach teeth or lengthen eyelashes were refuted.

The ‘Social Listening’ Strategy

Billboards and TV ads would once have dominated Unilever’s advertising drive. But the Vaseline phenomenon has persuaded leaders to turbocharge spending on content creators.

This monitoring of online platforms to inform business strategy has been dubbed “social listening”. Fernando Fernández, recently appointed, has suggested it is aiming to spend a full fifty percent of its huge ad budget on social media content.

Adapting to New Consumer Habits

The company's social media lead, who is leading the online push, said the company was simply adapting to new ways of reaching consumers. She said interacting online “without killing the party” was paramount.

“How can companies join discussions credibly? That’s always what we’ve been trying to do as brands, since the era of community gossip and talking about what they used.

“There’s this moving away from a mass communication approach, where we would just broadcast out … Now it’s many conversations, various groups. The evolution of platform algorithms means that these communities feel niche, yet they are vast.

“If you can make sure your brand is shared by consumers, talked about by other people, this builds credibility and connection. Content makers are key. We are expanding this endorsement system.”

A Fundamental Consumption Turn

The approach indicates profound shifts happening in audience habits, with the youth demographic devoting greater hours to digital networks than legacy broadcast and print media.

This change is evidenced by falling revenues for TV and print advertising. Within the United Kingdom, ad revenues for major broadcasters have declined by over six hundred million pounds in actual value since the end of the last decade.

The Creator Economy Boom

This further signifies a blurring of media roles as corporations essentially turn into content studios, partnering with hundreds of content creators to promote their goods.

A commercial director at a major talent agency said: “Obviously there’s a flow of audiences out of certain traditional media outlets and they’re spending a lot more time on digital video and image apps than they are watching live TV or reading print.

“Many companies report to us audiences believe endorsements from the creators they engage with over traditional advertisements. This is a persistent pattern.”

He said brands could also save money by focusing on influencers over expensive broadcast campaigns, which also enables easier content adjustment to gauge performance.

This strategy is expanding. Marketing investment on the creator economy is rising at quadruple the rate than total media spending. Stateside, it has more than doubled since 2021 and is forecast to attain multi-billion dollar sums in 2025.

Traditional Media's Continued Place

Regardless of the massive shift, experts said they believed television commercials still played a key part to play, as networks still held the capability to shape the national conversation.

The executive noted: “A top-tier ROI marketing event is still major broadcast spectacles. It’s not about those broadcasters saying: ‘Oh, we’re not relevant any more.’ It’s about who’s capturing attention … I believe there is absolutely a role for them.”