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As a product discovered over 150 years ago within a Pennsylvania drilling site, the modest tin of Vaseline may not seem like an natural focus for digital platform algorithms.

However, its rise as a popular subject on TikTok has positioned it at the vanguard of an advertising revolution, seeing big businesses investing heavily in content creators and putting fewer resources into promoting products in conventional outlets.

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 byproduct of the drilling process. Currently, a wave of user-generated videos have documented the product’s widespread use in “life hacks”.

Promoted as a remedy for cleaning shoes or extending perfume longevity, along with a cure for creaky hinges. Users have even applied it to combat the nuisance of chip seasoning clinging to fingers.

Capitalising on the Conversation

Noticing its viral resurgence, executives at the multinational enhanced the tricks by asking their own scientists to test them and letting the content creators in on the results.

Claims that Vaseline reduced the sensation of spicy food on lips were validated. So too were ideas it could lengthen scent duration and revive leather bags. Claims that it would whiten teeth or extend lashes were refuted.

The ‘Digital Ear’ Approach

Print ads and broadcast spots would once have been the cornerstone of its marketing push. Yet this viral episode has helped convince executives to ramp up funding for content creators.

This observation of social channels to guide corporate planning has been termed “social listening”. The company's chief executive, freshly instated, has suggested it is aiming 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 killing the party” was essential.

“How can companies join discussions credibly? This has perpetually been our aim as brands, back to when people were hanging out their laundry and talking about what they used.

“The trend is shifting from a one-to-many model, where we would just send out ads … Today, it's numerous dialogues, many communities. The shift of the algorithms means that these audiences appear specific, however, they are large.

“Having your brand advocated by other people, mentioned by individuals, that fosters reliability and pertinence. Influencers are vital for this. We are expanding this endorsement system.”

A Revolutionary Change in Media

The approach indicates dramatic transformations taking place in media consumption, with Gen Z and millennial audiences allocating more attention to apps like TikTok and Instagram than traditional TV, print, or radio.

The shift is reflected in declines in traditional media advertising. Across Britain, commercial funding for primary networks have fallen by more than £600m in real terms since 2019.

The Creator Economy Boom

This further signifies a media convergence as large companies almost become production houses themselves, linking up with a multitude of digital creators to boost their products.

A commercial director at a major talent agency said: “Obviously there’s a flow of audiences away from some legacy media and their time is increasingly on digital video and image apps 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. That’s a consistent trend.”

He added firms may also cut expenditures by targeting content creators over large-scale legacy ad buys, which also allows them to tweak their content more easily to test effectiveness.

Such methods are increasing. Advertising spending on influencer marketing is rising at quadruple the rate than total media spending. In the US, it has increased by over 100% since 2021 and is projected to reach multi-billion dollar sums in 2025.

Traditional Media's Continued Place

Regardless of the massive shift, industry figures said they believed TV advertising still had a prominent role to play, as networks still held the capability to drive countrywide discourse.

The executive noted: “Among the most effective advertising investments 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 believe there is absolutely a role for them.”