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Originally found over 150 years ago on a Pennsylvania oilfield, the humble pot of Vaseline may not seem like an natural focus for social media algorithms.

Nonetheless, its ascent as a TikTok talking point has thrust it into the lead of an advertising revolution, seeing big businesses allocating substantial funds to content creators and reducing expenditure on marketing items in conventional outlets.

A Journey from Drilling to Digital

The petroleum jelly was first manufactured in the 1870s by a chemist, Robert Cheeseborough, who noticed oil rig workers rubbing their skin with a residue from oil extraction. Currently, a wave of amateur-created clips have documented the product’s widespread use in “practical tricks”.

It has been touted as a fix for dirty sneakers or extending perfume longevity, as well as a fix for creaky hinges. Its use has even extended to prevent the annoyance of crisp flavouring sticking to fingers.

Capitalising on the Conversation

Detecting the product’s new life online, executives at the multinational enhanced the tricks by asking their own scientists to test them and sharing the findings with influencers.

Claims that Vaseline reduced the burn from hot food on the lips were validated. Similarly supported were ideas it could extend fragrance and restore leather handbags. Claims that it would brighten smiles or make eyelashes longer were refuted.

The ‘Social Listening’ Strategy

Print ads and broadcast spots would once have dominated Unilever’s advertising drive. However, this online trend has persuaded leaders to ramp up funding for content creators.

This monitoring of online platforms to guide corporate planning has been termed “social listening”. Fernando Fernández, recently appointed, has suggested it is aiming to spend half of its colossal advertising budget on platform-based material.

Shifting to Modern Engagement

Selina Sykes, who is spearheading the social media effort, said the company was simply adapting to new ways of connecting with customers. She said engaging on social media “without killing the party” was paramount.

“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 sharing usage tips.

“We are witnessing a departure from a mass communication approach, where we would just transmit messages … Currently, it's countless discussions, various groups. The evolution of platform algorithms means that these communities feel niche, however, they are large.

“Having your brand advocated by other people, recommended by peers, that fosters reliability and pertinence. Influencers are vital for this. We are expanding this endorsement system.”

A Fundamental Consumption Turn

The approach indicates profound shifts happening in audience habits, with the youth demographic spending more time on apps like TikTok and Instagram than television, magazines or radio.

The transition is visible in drops in TV and print advertising. Within the United Kingdom, ad revenues for leading TV channels have dropped substantially in real terms since 2019.

The Creator Economy Boom

It also reflects a blurring of media roles as large companies almost become production houses themselves, collaborating with a multitude of digital creators to enhance their items.

An industry expert from a leading agency said: “Naturally, an exodus of attention from conventional channels and their time is increasingly on Instagram, TikTok and YouTube than they are consuming linear broadcasts or printed matter.

“A lot of brands are telling us people trust recommendations from the personalities they subscribe to compared to commercial messages. That’s a consistent trend.”

He said brands could also save money by investing in creators over large-scale legacy ad buys, which also enables easier content adjustment to test effectiveness.

This strategy is expanding. Advertising spending on digital creator partnerships is rising at quadruple the rate than the broader media sector. Across the United States, it has over doubled since 2021 and is forecast to attain tens of billions in 2025.

Traditional Media's Continued Place

Even with this transformation, experts said they believed broadcast ads retained significant importance to play, as broadcasters retained the power to drive countrywide discourse.

The executive noted: “Among the most effective advertising investments is still the Super Bowl. It's not a matter of networks declaring: ‘Our relevance has faded.’ The focus is on who seizes focus … I think there’s 100% a place for them.”