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As a product discovered over 150 years ago on a Pennsylvania oilfield, the modest tin of Vaseline might not appear as an obvious target for social media algorithms.

Nonetheless, its ascent as a viral TikTok topic has placed it at the forefront of an marketing transformation, where major corporations are investing heavily in content creators and putting fewer resources into advertising goods in conventional outlets.

A Journey from Drilling to Digital

The petroleum jelly was first manufactured in the 1870s by scientist Robert Cheeseborough, who noticed oil rig workers rubbing their skin with a byproduct of the drilling process. Currently, a wave of content from users have recorded its extensive utilization in “life hacks”.

Promoted as a solution for polishing footwear or making fragrance last longer, along with a cure for noisy doorways. Users have even applied it to prevent the annoyance of snack dust adhering to hands.

Leveraging the Buzz

Noticing its viral resurgence, marketers at Unilever enhanced the tricks 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 validated. Similarly supported were ideas it could prolong perfume and revive leather bags. Suggestions it could bleach teeth or lengthen eyelashes were debunked.

The ‘Digital Ear’ Approach

Print ads and broadcast spots would once have been the cornerstone of its marketing push. Yet this viral episode has helped convince executives to ramp up funding for content creators.

This observation of social channels to inform business strategy has been termed “social listening”. Unilever's CEO, newly named, has indicated the goal is to spend half of its colossal advertising budget on digital creator content.

Shifting to Modern Engagement

A leading Unilever executive, who is leading the online push, said the company was simply adapting to new ways of engaging audiences. She said interacting online “without killing the party” was essential.

“What is the key to genuine brand integration? This has perpetually been our aim as brands, dating to when neighbors chatted over fences and talking about what they used.

“We are witnessing a departure from a mass communication approach, where we would just broadcast out … Now it’s many conversations, diverse communities. Changes in digital feeds means that these communities feel niche, but they’re not.

“If you can make sure your brand is shared by other people, recommended by peers, that is how you can build trust and relevance. Creators are critical to that. We are expanding this endorsement system.”

A Seismic Media Shift

The approach indicates dramatic transformations occurring in how media is consumed, with Gen Z and millennial audiences allocating more attention to digital networks than traditional TV, print, or radio.

The shift is reflected in falling revenues for traditional media advertising. Within the United Kingdom, advertising income for leading TV channels have fallen by more than £600m in real terms since 2019.

The Creator Economy Boom

Additionally, it points to a media convergence as brands effectively act as media producers, partnering with hundreds of content creators to promote their goods.

Leon Harlow said: “Obviously there’s a flow of audiences away from some legacy media and they’re spending a lot more time on social platforms like 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 creators they engage with more than they trust ads. That’s a consistent trend.”

He said brands could also save money by focusing on influencers over big traditional media campaigns, which also permits simpler message refinement to see what works.

The approach is growing. Advertising spending on influencer marketing is rising at quadruple the rate than total media spending. Stateside, it has more than doubled since 2021 and is projected to reach tens of billions in 2025.

Traditional Media's Continued Place

Regardless of the massive shift, experts said they believed TV advertising still had a prominent role to play, as networks still held the capability to shape the national conversation.

Sykes said: “A top-tier ROI marketing event is still major broadcast spectacles. It's not a matter of networks declaring: ‘We are no longer pertinent.’ It concerns who commands eyeballs … I think there’s 100% a place for them.”