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First identified over 150 years ago within a Pennsylvania drilling site, the simple jar of Vaseline might not appear as an obvious target for online content feeds.

Yet the brand’s emergence as a TikTok talking point has thrust it into the lead of an advertising revolution, seeing big businesses investing heavily in content creators and reducing expenditure on marketing items in conventional outlets.

From Oil Rigs to Online Hacks

The petroleum jelly was first manufactured in the 1870s by scientist Robert Cheeseborough, who noticed oil rig workers using on their skin with a byproduct of the drilling process. Today, a spree of user-generated videos have chronicled its broad application in “practical tricks”.

Promoted as a solution for polishing footwear or making fragrance last longer, as well as a fix for noisy doorways. It has even been deployed to stop the scourge of crisp flavouring sticking to fingers.

Harnessing the Hype

Noticing its viral resurgence, executives at the multinational amplified the hacks by tasking their in-house experts with verification and providing creators with the outcome data.

Claims that Vaseline reduced the sensation of spicy food on lips were validated. Similarly supported were ideas it could prolong perfume and revive leather bags. Proposals that it might brighten smiles or extend lashes were refuted.

The ‘Digital Ear’ Approach

Print ads and broadcast spots would once have formed the bulk of its promotional efforts. However, this online trend has led decision-makers to turbocharge spending on content creators.

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

Shifting to Modern Engagement

A leading Unilever executive, who is heading the digital initiative, said the company was simply adapting to new ways of reaching consumers. She said engaging on social media “without dampening the fun” was essential.

“What is the key to genuine brand integration? That’s always what we’ve been trying to do as brands, back to when people were hanging out their laundry and talking about what they used.

“We are witnessing a departure from a broadcast model, where we would just broadcast out … Now it’s many conversations, many communities. Changes in digital feeds means that these groups seem specialized, but they’re not.

“Having your brand advocated by users, recommended by peers, that fosters reliability and pertinence. Influencers are vital for this. We’re really scaling this advocacy model.”

A Fundamental Consumption Turn

The approach indicates dramatic transformations taking place in media consumption, with younger consumers allocating more attention to digital networks than legacy broadcast and print media.

This change is evidenced by drops in traditional media advertising. In the UK, ad revenues for major broadcasters have dropped substantially in actual value since the end of the last decade.

Influencer Marketing Expansion

Additionally, it points to a blurring of media roles as large companies almost become production houses themselves, collaborating with numerous influencers to boost their products.

A commercial director at a major talent agency said: “Clearly, there is a migration of viewers away from some legacy media and they are dedicating far more hours to digital video and image apps than they are watching live TV or reading print.

“Numerous corporations inform us people trust recommendations from the creators they engage with over traditional advertisements. That’s a consistent trend.”

He noted companies can reduce costs by focusing on influencers over big traditional media campaigns, which also enables easier content adjustment to see what works.

The approach is growing. Advertising spending on the creator economy is growing fourfold quicker than the media industry overall. Across the United States, it has more than doubled since 2021 and is forecast to attain substantial figures in 2025.

Traditional Media's Continued Place

Regardless of the massive shift, executives said they believed TV advertising still had a prominent role to play, as TV channels continued to possess the influence to frame public debate.

She added: “A top-tier ROI marketing event is still events like the Super Bowl. It’s not about those broadcasters saying: ‘Oh, we’re not relevant any more.’ It concerns who commands eyeballs … I believe there is absolutely a role for them.”