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First identified more than 150 years ago within a Pennsylvania drilling site, the humble pot of Vaseline may not seem like an obvious target for online content feeds.

Yet the brand’s emergence as a viral TikTok topic has placed it at the forefront of an advertising revolution, seeing big businesses allocating substantial funds to content creators and reducing expenditure on marketing items in legacy broadcasters.

From Oil Rigs to Online Hacks

First created commercially in the 1870s by chemist Robert Cheeseborough, who noticed oil rig workers applying to their skin with a derivative of drilling. Currently, a wave of user-generated videos have documented the product’s widespread use in “everyday tips”.

Promoted as a remedy for cleaning shoes or prolonging the scent of perfume, and also a remedy for noisy doorways. Its use has even extended to combat the nuisance of snack dust adhering to hands.

Capitalising on the Conversation

Detecting the product’s new life online, marketers at Unilever amplified the hacks by having their research teams evaluate the claims and sharing the findings with influencers.

Suggestions that it lessened the sensation of spicy food on lips were validated. This was also the case for ideas it could prolong perfume and revive leather bags. Suggestions it could brighten smiles or extend lashes were debunked.

The ‘Social Listening’ Strategy

Outdoor advertising and television commercials would once have formed the bulk of its promotional efforts. Yet this viral episode has helped convince executives to dramatically increase investment in content creators.

This observation of social channels to guide corporate planning has been termed “social listening”. Unilever's CEO, recently appointed, has stated the intention is to spend 50% of its massive marketing spend on platform-based material.

Adapting to New Consumer Habits

Selina Sykes, who is leading the online push, said the company was just evolving with contemporary approaches of engaging audiences. She said interacting online “without dampening the fun” was essential.

“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 discussing household products.

“The trend is shifting from a mass communication approach, where we would just transmit messages … Today, it's numerous dialogues, many communities. The shift of the algorithms means that these groups seem specialized, but they’re not.

“If you can make sure your brand is shared by users, mentioned by individuals, that fosters reliability and pertinence. Content makers are key. We’re really scaling this advocacy model.”

A Fundamental Consumption Turn

The approach indicates dramatic transformations taking place in media consumption, with the youth demographic devoting greater hours to digital networks than traditional TV, print, or radio.

This change is evidenced by drops in traditional media advertising. Within the United Kingdom, advertising income for primary networks have dropped substantially in inflation-adjusted terms since 2019.

The Creator Economy Boom

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

A commercial director at a major talent agency said: “Naturally, an exodus of attention out of certain traditional media outlets 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 consumers have more faith in suggestions from the creators they engage with over traditional advertisements. It's an ongoing shift.”

He added firms may also cut expenditures by investing in creators over expensive broadcast campaigns, which also allows them to tweak their content more easily to gauge performance.

Such methods are increasing. Marketing investment on the creator economy is rising at quadruple the rate than total media spending. Stateside, it has increased by over 100% since 2021 and is expected to hit multi-billion dollar sums in 2025.

TV's Lasting Role

Despite the huge changes, executives 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 about those broadcasters saying: ‘Oh, we’re not relevant any more.’ The focus is on who seizes focus … There is undoubtedly a future for traditional media.”