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Originally found more than 150 years ago in the oil fields of Pennsylvania, the modest tin of Vaseline might not appear as an clear candidate for social media algorithms.

Nonetheless, its ascent as a popular subject on TikTok 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.

The Path from Petroleum to Platforms

The petroleum jelly was first manufactured in the 1870s by chemist Robert Cheeseborough, who saw laborers rubbing their skin with a derivative of drilling. Now, a flood of content from users have recorded its extensive utilization in “life hacks”.

It has been touted as a solution for polishing footwear or extending perfume longevity, as well as a fix for squeaky doors. It has even been deployed to combat the nuisance of chip seasoning clinging to fingers.

Leveraging the Buzz

Noticing its viral resurgence, marketers at Unilever boosted the tips by asking their own scientists to test them and providing creators with the outcome data.

Claims that Vaseline reduced the sting of chili on the mouth were validated. This was also the case for ideas it could lengthen scent duration and revive leather bags. Proposals that it might whiten teeth or lengthen eyelashes were disproven.

A Plan Built on ‘Social Listening’

Print ads and broadcast spots would once have dominated Unilever’s advertising drive. But the Vaseline phenomenon has persuaded leaders to dramatically increase investment in content creators.

This tracking of digital spaces to inform business strategy has been termed “social listening”. Unilever's CEO, freshly instated, has stated the intention is to spend a full fifty percent of its huge ad budget on platform-based material.

Evolving With Audience Behavior

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

“How can companies join discussions credibly? This has perpetually been our aim as brands, dating to when neighbors chatted over fences and sharing usage tips.

“There’s this moving away from a broadcast model, where we would just send out ads … Today, it's numerous dialogues, diverse communities. The shift of the algorithms means that these audiences appear specific, but they’re not.

“Having your brand advocated by users, talked about by other people, that fosters reliability and pertinence. Influencers are vital for this. We’re really scaling this advocacy model.”

A Seismic Media Shift

The strategy reflects dramatic transformations taking place in media consumption, with the youth demographic allocating more attention to apps like TikTok and Instagram than legacy broadcast and print media.

The shift is reflected in drops in broadcast and newspaper ads. Within the United Kingdom, ad revenues for primary networks have dropped substantially in real terms since 2019.

Influencer Marketing Expansion

This further signifies a media convergence as brands effectively act as media producers, partnering with hundreds of content creators to boost their products.

An industry expert from a leading agency said: “Clearly, there is a migration of viewers out of certain traditional media outlets and they are dedicating far more hours to social platforms like Instagram, TikTok and YouTube than they are watching live TV or reading print.

“A lot of brands are telling us consumers have more faith in suggestions from the creators they engage with over traditional advertisements. This is a persistent pattern.”

He said brands could also save money by focusing on influencers over expensive broadcast campaigns, which also enables easier content adjustment to see what works.

This strategy is expanding. Advertising spending on the creator economy is increasing four times faster than the broader media sector. In the US, it has over doubled since 2021 and is expected to hit substantial figures in 2025.

Traditional Media's Continued Place

Even with this transformation, industry figures said they believed television commercials still played a key part to play, as TV channels continued to possess the influence 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 a matter of networks declaring: ‘Oh, we’re not relevant any more.’ It’s about who’s capturing attention … There is undoubtedly a future for traditional media.”