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First identified over 150 years ago within a Pennsylvania drilling site, the humble pot of Vaseline might not appear as an clear candidate for digital platform algorithms.

However, its rise as a viral TikTok topic has placed it at the forefront of an advertising revolution, in which large companies are allocating substantial funds to content creators and putting fewer resources into promoting products in conventional outlets.

From Oil Rigs to Online Hacks

Originally produced in the 1870s by a chemist, Robert Cheeseborough, who saw laborers applying to their skin with a byproduct of the drilling process. Today, a spree of amateur-created clips have documented the product’s widespread use in “everyday tips”.

It has been touted as a fix for dirty sneakers or extending perfume longevity, as well as a fix for squeaky doors. Users have even applied it to combat the nuisance of crisp flavouring sticking to fingers.

Harnessing the Hype

Spotting its digital renaissance, marketers at Unilever boosted the tips by tasking their in-house experts with verification and providing creators with the outcome data.

Suggestions that it lessened the burn from hot food on the lips were given the thumbs up. Similarly supported were ideas it could prolong perfume and revive leather bags. Claims that it would bleach teeth or make eyelashes longer 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 persuaded leaders to turbocharge spending on content creators.

This monitoring of online platforms to inform business strategy has been dubbed “social listening”. Fernando Fernández, freshly instated, has suggested it is aiming to spend 50% of its massive marketing spend on platform-based material.

Adapting to New Consumer Habits

Selina Sykes, who is heading the digital initiative, said the company was simply adapting to new ways of connecting with customers. She said participating on platforms “without dampening the fun” was essential.

“What is the key to genuine brand integration? That’s always what we’ve been trying to do 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 … Currently, it's countless discussions, diverse communities. The shift of the algorithms means that these audiences appear specific, but they’re not.

“If you can make sure your brand is shared by other people, mentioned by individuals, that fosters reliability and pertinence. Creators are critical to that. We are expanding this endorsement system.”

A Fundamental Consumption Turn

The strategy reflects seismic changes happening in audience habits, with younger consumers allocating more attention to social media platforms than legacy broadcast and print media.

The shift is reflected in declines in TV and print advertising. In the UK, advertising income for major broadcasters have declined by over six hundred million pounds in inflation-adjusted terms since 2019.

The Creator Economy Boom

Additionally, it points to a merging of functions as brands effectively act as media producers, partnering with hundreds of content creators to boost their products.

A commercial director at a major talent agency said: “Clearly, there is a migration of viewers out of certain traditional media outlets and they’re spending a lot more time on Instagram, TikTok and YouTube than they are viewing scheduled television or reading physical magazines.

“Many companies report to us audiences believe endorsements from the individuals they follow over traditional advertisements. That’s a consistent trend.”

He added firms may also cut expenditures by investing in creators over big traditional media campaigns, which also permits simpler message refinement to gauge performance.

The approach is growing. Marketing investment on digital creator partnerships is increasing four times faster than the broader media sector. In the US, it has increased by over 100% since 2021 and is expected to hit multi-billion dollar sums in 2025.

TV's Lasting Role

Regardless of the massive shift, executives said they believed television commercials still played a key part to play, as broadcasters retained the power to frame public debate.

She added: “One of the highest return-on-investment media opportunities is still events like the Super Bowl. It’s not about those broadcasters saying: ‘Oh, we’re not relevant any more.’ It concerns who commands eyeballs … I think there’s 100% a place for them.”