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Originally found more than 150 years ago on a Pennsylvania oilfield, the simple jar of Vaseline could hardly be considered an clear candidate for digital platform algorithms.

Yet the brand’s emergence as a TikTok talking point has thrust it into the lead of an promotional upheaval, in which large companies are spending big on content creators and reducing expenditure on 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 observed drillers rubbing their skin with a byproduct of the drilling process. Currently, a wave of content from users have documented the product’s widespread use in “everyday tips”.

Hailed as a remedy for cleaning shoes or making fragrance last longer, along with a cure for squeaky doors. It has even been deployed to combat the nuisance of snack dust adhering to hands.

Leveraging the Buzz

Spotting its digital renaissance, executives at the multinational boosted the tips by asking their own scientists to test them and providing creators with the outcome data.

Claims that Vaseline reduced the sensation of spicy food on lips were given the thumbs up. So too were ideas it could extend fragrance and revive leather bags. Suggestions it could bleach teeth or make eyelashes longer 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 guide corporate planning has been dubbed “social listening”. Unilever's CEO, newly named, has stated the intention is to spend half of its colossal advertising budget on platform-based material.

Evolving With Audience Behavior

The company's social media lead, who is leading the online push, said the company was merely adjusting to novel methods of engaging audiences. She said engaging on social media “without killing the party” was crucial.

“How can companies join discussions credibly? This remains our core objective as brands, back to when people were hanging out their laundry and sharing usage tips.

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

“Ensuring your product is discussed by users, recommended by peers, this builds credibility and connection. Creators are critical to that. This word-of-mouth strategy is being amplified.”

A Seismic Media Shift

This plan mirrors seismic changes taking place in media consumption, with younger consumers spending more time on digital networks than legacy broadcast and print media.

The shift is reflected in falling revenues for TV and print advertising. Across Britain, ad revenues for major broadcasters have declined by over six hundred million pounds in inflation-adjusted terms since 2019.

The Rise of the Creator Economy

Additionally, it points to 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: “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 people trust recommendations from the personalities they subscribe to more than they trust ads. That’s a consistent trend.”

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

This strategy is expanding. Advertising spending on digital creator partnerships is increasing four times faster than total media spending. Across the United States, it has more than doubled since 2021 and is forecast to attain tens of billions in 2025.

TV's Lasting Role

Even with this transformation, experts said they believed broadcast ads retained significant importance to play, as networks still held the capability to drive countrywide discourse.

The executive noted: “A top-tier ROI marketing event is still events like the Super Bowl. It’s not about those broadcasters saying: ‘We are no longer pertinent.’ The focus is on who seizes focus … I think there’s 100% a place for them.”