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As a product discovered more than 150 years ago on a Pennsylvania oilfield, the simple jar of Vaseline might not appear as an obvious target for social media algorithms.

However, its rise as a popular subject on TikTok has positioned it at the vanguard of an advertising revolution, in which large companies are spending big on content creators and putting fewer resources into advertising goods in legacy broadcasters.

The Path from Petroleum to Platforms

First created commercially in the 1870s by chemist Robert Cheeseborough, who noticed oil rig workers using on their skin with a residue from oil extraction. Today, a spree of amateur-created clips have recorded its extensive utilization in “practical tricks”.

Promoted as a remedy for cleaning shoes or prolonging the scent of perfume, along with a cure for squeaky doors. Its use has even extended to stop the scourge of crisp flavouring sticking to fingers.

Capitalising on the Conversation

Spotting its digital renaissance, strategists within the corporation amplified the hacks by asking their own scientists to test them and sharing the findings with influencers.

Suggestions that it lessened the sensation of spicy food on lips were validated. So too were ideas it could prolong perfume and restore leather handbags. Claims that it would bleach teeth or lengthen eyelashes were disproven.

A Plan Built on ‘Social Listening’

Outdoor advertising and television commercials 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 observation of social channels to shape commercial tactics has been termed “social listening”. Unilever's CEO, newly named, has stated the intention is to spend half of its colossal advertising budget on digital creator content.

Adapting to New Consumer Habits

The company's social media lead, who is leading the online push, said the company was merely adjusting to novel methods of engaging audiences. She said interacting online “without spoiling the atmosphere” was crucial.

“What is the key to genuine brand integration? 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 broadcast model, where we would just transmit messages … Now it’s many conversations, many communities. The shift of the algorithms means that these audiences appear specific, however, they are large.

“Having your brand advocated by other people, mentioned by individuals, this builds credibility and connection. Influencers are vital for this. This word-of-mouth strategy is being amplified.”

A Seismic Media Shift

The strategy reflects seismic changes occurring in how media is consumed, with younger consumers spending more time on social media platforms than legacy broadcast and print media.

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

The Creator Economy Boom

Additionally, it points to a blurring of media roles as large companies almost become production houses themselves, linking up with numerous influencers to promote their goods.

Leon Harlow said: “Obviously there’s a flow of audiences from conventional channels and their time is increasingly on digital video and image apps than they are consuming linear broadcasts or printed matter.

“A lot of brands are telling us people trust recommendations from the individuals they follow over traditional advertisements. It's an ongoing shift.”

He added firms may also cut expenditures by investing in creators over large-scale legacy ad buys, which also enables easier content adjustment to test effectiveness.

The approach is growing. Marketing investment on digital creator partnerships is rising at quadruple the rate than the broader media sector. Stateside, it has over doubled since 2021 and is projected to reach multi-billion dollar sums in 2025.

Traditional Media's Continued Place

Regardless of the massive shift, executives said they believed television commercials still played a key part to play, as networks still held the capability to drive countrywide discourse.

Sykes said: “Among the most effective advertising investments is still events like the Super Bowl. The issue isn't broadcasters claiming: ‘Oh, we’re not relevant any more.’ It’s about who’s capturing attention … I think there’s 100% a place for them.”