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Originally found over 150 years ago on a Pennsylvania oilfield, the modest tin of Vaseline might not appear as an obvious target for digital platform algorithms.

Yet the brand’s emergence as a TikTok talking point has positioned it at the vanguard of an promotional upheaval, seeing big businesses spending big on content creators and reducing expenditure on marketing items in traditional media.

From Oil Rigs to Online Hacks

First created commercially in the 1870s by chemist Robert Cheeseborough, who saw laborers applying to their skin with a residue from oil extraction. Currently, a wave of amateur-created clips have chronicled its broad application in “life hacks”.

Hailed as a solution for polishing footwear or extending perfume longevity, as well as a fix for squeaky doors. Users have even applied it to stop the scourge of chip seasoning clinging to fingers.

Leveraging the Buzz

Spotting its digital renaissance, marketers at Unilever enhanced the tricks by having their research teams evaluate the claims and providing creators with the outcome data.

Assertions that it diminished the burn from hot food on the lips were confirmed. This was also the case for ideas it could prolong perfume and revive leather bags. Proposals that it might brighten smiles or lengthen eyelashes were debunked.

The ‘Social Listening’ Strategy

Outdoor advertising and television commercials would once have been the cornerstone of its marketing push. However, this online trend has helped convince executives to ramp up funding for content creators.

This tracking of digital spaces to guide corporate planning has been labeled “social listening”. The company's chief executive, recently appointed, has stated the intention is to spend half of its colossal advertising budget on digital creator content.

Adapting to New Consumer Habits

A leading Unilever executive, who is spearheading the social media effort, said the company was simply adapting to new ways of engaging audiences. She said interacting online “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, back to when people were hanging out their laundry and sharing usage tips.

“There’s this moving away from a broadcast model, where we would just send out ads … Currently, it's countless discussions, various groups. The evolution of platform algorithms means that these audiences appear specific, but they’re not.

“If you can make sure your brand is shared by consumers, mentioned by individuals, that is how you can build trust and relevance. Creators are critical to that. This word-of-mouth strategy is being amplified.”

A Seismic Media Shift

The strategy reflects profound shifts occurring in how media is consumed, with younger consumers allocating more attention to social media platforms than traditional TV, print, or radio.

The transition is visible in declines in broadcast and newspaper ads. Across Britain, ad revenues for primary networks have dropped substantially in real terms since 2019.

Influencer Marketing Expansion

This further signifies a blurring of media roles as large companies almost become production houses themselves, collaborating with numerous influencers to promote their goods.

A commercial director at a major talent agency said: “Clearly, there is a migration of viewers away from some legacy media and they’re spending a lot more time on digital video and image apps than they are consuming linear broadcasts or printed matter.

“Numerous corporations inform us people trust recommendations from the personalities they subscribe to more than they trust ads. It's an ongoing shift.”

He said brands could also save money by investing in creators over large-scale legacy ad buys, which also enables easier content adjustment to gauge performance.

Such methods are increasing. Promotional expenditure on the creator economy 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 substantial figures in 2025.

The Enduring Power of Broadcast

Despite the huge changes, experts said they believed broadcast ads retained significant importance to play, as TV channels continued to possess the influence to frame public debate.

She added: “Among the most effective advertising investments is still major broadcast spectacles. It’s not about those broadcasters saying: ‘We are no longer pertinent.’ It’s about who’s capturing attention … I believe there is absolutely a role for them.”