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Originally found over 150 years ago in the oil fields of Pennsylvania, the humble pot of Vaseline could hardly be considered an natural focus for online content feeds.

Yet the brand’s emergence as a viral TikTok topic has positioned it at the vanguard of an advertising revolution, where major corporations are investing heavily in content creators and putting fewer resources into promoting products in legacy broadcasters.

A Journey from Drilling to Digital

Originally produced in the 1870s by scientist Robert Cheeseborough, who noticed oil rig workers using on their skin with a derivative of drilling. Currently, a wave of user-generated videos have documented the product’s widespread use in “life hacks”.

Promoted as a solution for polishing footwear or extending perfume longevity, along with a cure for squeaky doors. It has even been deployed to stop the scourge of chip seasoning clinging to fingers.

Capitalising on the Conversation

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 given the thumbs up. So too were ideas it could prolong perfume and restore leather handbags. Suggestions it could bleach teeth or extend lashes were refuted.

The ‘Social Listening’ Strategy

Print ads and broadcast spots would once have formed the bulk of its promotional efforts. But the Vaseline phenomenon has persuaded leaders to turbocharge spending on content creators.

This observation of social channels to shape commercial tactics has been labeled “social listening”. The company's chief executive, newly named, has indicated the goal is to spend 50% of its massive marketing spend on digital creator content.

Adapting to New Consumer Habits

Selina Sykes, who is leading the online push, said the company was just evolving with contemporary approaches of reaching consumers. She said interacting online “without killing the party” was paramount.

“How do brands authentically become part of the conversation? This has perpetually been our aim as brands, dating to when neighbors chatted over fences and sharing usage tips.

“We are witnessing a departure from a one-to-many model, where we would just transmit messages … Now it’s many conversations, diverse communities. The evolution of platform algorithms means that these audiences appear specific, but they’re not.

“Ensuring your product is discussed by other people, mentioned by individuals, that is how you can build trust and relevance. Creators are critical to that. We are expanding this endorsement system.”

A Revolutionary Change in Media

The strategy reflects dramatic transformations taking place in media consumption, with the youth demographic spending more time on social media platforms than television, magazines or radio.

The shift is reflected in falling revenues for broadcast and newspaper ads. Within the United Kingdom, ad revenues for major broadcasters have fallen by more than £600m in actual value since the end of the last decade.

The Rise of the Creator Economy

It also reflects a merging of functions as large companies almost become production houses themselves, linking up with a multitude of digital creators to promote their goods.

A commercial director at a major talent agency said: “Obviously there’s a flow of audiences away from some legacy media and they’re spending a lot more time on Instagram, TikTok and YouTube than they are consuming linear broadcasts or printed matter.

“A lot of brands are telling us audiences believe endorsements from the individuals they follow more than they trust ads. It's an ongoing shift.”

He said brands could also save money by investing in creators over big traditional media campaigns, which also enables easier content adjustment to see what works.

Such methods are increasing. Marketing investment on the creator economy is increasing four times faster than the media industry overall. Across the United States, it has increased by over 100% since 2021 and is projected to reach multi-billion dollar sums in 2025.

Traditional Media's Continued Place

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

She added: “One of the highest return-on-investment media opportunities is still major broadcast spectacles. It’s not about those broadcasters saying: ‘Our relevance has faded.’ It concerns who commands eyeballs … I think there’s 100% a place for them.”