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First identified over 150 years ago in the oil fields of Pennsylvania, the simple jar of Vaseline may not seem like an clear candidate for digital platform algorithms.

Nonetheless, its ascent as a viral TikTok topic has positioned it at the vanguard of an marketing transformation, seeing big businesses investing heavily in content creators and reducing expenditure on advertising goods in legacy broadcasters.

A Journey from Drilling to Digital

The petroleum jelly was first manufactured in the 1870s by scientist Robert Cheeseborough, who observed drillers using on their skin with a derivative of drilling. Currently, a wave of user-generated videos have recorded its extensive utilization in “life hacks”.

It has been touted as a solution for polishing footwear or making fragrance last longer, as well as a fix for creaky hinges. Users have even applied it to prevent the annoyance of chip seasoning clinging to fingers.

Harnessing the Hype

Spotting its digital renaissance, executives at the multinational enhanced the tricks by having their research teams evaluate the claims and letting the content creators in on the results.

Assertions that it diminished the burn from hot food on the lips were validated. Similarly supported were ideas it could extend fragrance and restore leather handbags. Proposals that it might bleach teeth or extend lashes were refuted.

A Plan Built on ‘Social Listening’

Outdoor advertising and television commercials would once have dominated Unilever’s advertising drive. But the Vaseline phenomenon has helped convince executives to turbocharge spending on content creators.

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

Shifting to Modern Engagement

The company's social media lead, who is spearheading the social media effort, said the company was simply adapting to new ways of reaching consumers. She said interacting online “without dampening the fun” was paramount.

“How can companies join discussions credibly? 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.

“There’s this moving away from a one-to-many model, where we would just send out ads … Now it’s many conversations, many communities. Changes in digital feeds means that these groups seem specialized, but they’re not.

“Ensuring your product is discussed by other people, recommended by peers, that fosters reliability and pertinence. Content makers are key. We’re really scaling this advocacy model.”

A Seismic Media Shift

The strategy reflects seismic changes occurring in how media is consumed, with Gen Z and millennial audiences devoting greater hours to apps like TikTok and Instagram than traditional TV, print, or radio.

The shift is reflected in declines in TV and print advertising. Across Britain, advertising income for primary networks have declined by over six hundred million pounds in real terms since 2019.

The Creator Economy Boom

This further signifies a media convergence as brands effectively act as media producers, collaborating with hundreds of content creators to promote their goods.

Leon Harlow said: “Clearly, there is a migration of viewers from conventional channels and they are dedicating far more hours to Instagram, TikTok and YouTube than they are viewing scheduled television or reading physical magazines.

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

He added firms may also cut expenditures by investing in creators over large-scale legacy ad buys, which also allows them to tweak their content more easily to see what works.

This strategy is expanding. Advertising spending on digital creator partnerships is growing fourfold quicker than total media spending. In the US, it has more than doubled since 2021 and is expected to hit tens of billions in 2025.

The Enduring Power of Broadcast

Even with this transformation, executives said they believed TV advertising still had a prominent role to play, as networks still held the capability to frame public debate.

Sykes said: “One of the highest return-on-investment media opportunities is still major broadcast spectacles. The issue isn't broadcasters claiming: ‘We are no longer pertinent.’ It concerns who commands eyeballs … I believe there is absolutely a role for them.”