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As a product discovered more than 150 years ago in the oil fields of Pennsylvania, the simple jar of Vaseline might not appear as an obvious target for digital platform algorithms.

However, its rise as a TikTok talking point has thrust it into the lead of an promotional upheaval, in which large companies are investing heavily in content creators and putting fewer resources into marketing items in traditional media.

From Oil Rigs to Online Hacks

Originally produced in the 1870s by chemist Robert Cheeseborough, who noticed oil rig workers rubbing their skin with a residue from oil extraction. Now, a flood of amateur-created clips have documented the product’s widespread use in “everyday tips”.

It has been touted as a remedy for cleaning shoes or prolonging the scent of perfume, and also a remedy for squeaky doors. It has even been deployed to combat the nuisance of snack dust adhering to hands.

Harnessing the Hype

Noticing its viral resurgence, marketers at Unilever amplified the hacks by asking their own scientists to test them and letting the content creators in on the results.

Claims that Vaseline reduced the burn from hot food on the lips were confirmed. So too were ideas it could prolong perfume and revive leather bags. Suggestions it could bleach teeth or lengthen eyelashes were debunked.

The ‘Digital Ear’ Approach

Outdoor advertising and television commercials would once have been the cornerstone of its marketing push. Yet this viral episode has persuaded leaders to turbocharge spending on content creators.

This tracking of digital spaces to inform business strategy has been dubbed “social listening”. Fernando Fernández, recently appointed, has stated the intention is to spend a full fifty percent of its huge ad budget on social media content.

Shifting to Modern Engagement

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 participating on platforms “without dampening the fun” was paramount.

“How do brands authentically become part of the conversation? This remains our core objective as brands, since the era of community gossip and sharing usage tips.

“There’s this moving away from a mass communication approach, where we would just send out ads … Currently, it's countless discussions, diverse communities. The shift of the algorithms means that these audiences appear specific, but they’re not.

“If you can make sure your brand is shared by other people, recommended by peers, this builds credibility and connection. Creators are critical to that. This word-of-mouth strategy is being amplified.”

A Seismic Media Shift

This plan mirrors dramatic transformations happening in audience habits, with the youth demographic spending more time on apps like TikTok and Instagram than traditional TV, print, or radio.

The shift is reflected in drops in TV and print advertising. Within the United Kingdom, advertising income for major broadcasters have dropped substantially in actual value since the end of the last decade.

The Creator Economy Boom

It also reflects a blurring of media roles as brands effectively act as media producers, partnering with a multitude of digital creators to enhance their items.

An industry expert from a leading agency said: “Naturally, an exodus of attention away from some legacy media and they are dedicating far more hours to Instagram, TikTok and YouTube than they are viewing scheduled television or reading physical magazines.

“A lot of brands are telling us people trust recommendations from the creators they engage with compared to commercial messages. It's an ongoing shift.”

He said brands could also save money by focusing on influencers over expensive broadcast campaigns, which also permits simpler message refinement to gauge performance.

This strategy is expanding. Marketing investment on influencer marketing is increasing four times faster than the media industry overall. In the US, it has increased by over 100% since 2021 and is forecast to attain tens of billions in 2025.

TV's Lasting Role

Even with this transformation, industry figures said they believed television commercials still played a key part to play, as TV channels continued to possess the influence to drive countrywide discourse.

The executive noted: “One of the highest return-on-investment media opportunities is still major broadcast spectacles. It's not a matter of networks declaring: ‘Our relevance has faded.’ It concerns who commands eyeballs … I believe there is absolutely a role for them.”