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First identified more than 150 years ago in the oil fields of Pennsylvania, the modest tin of Vaseline could hardly be considered an obvious target for online content feeds.

However, its rise as a viral TikTok topic has placed it at the forefront of an marketing transformation, seeing big businesses investing heavily in content creators and putting fewer resources into marketing items in traditional media.

From Oil Rigs to Online Hacks

First created commercially in the 1870s by a chemist, Robert Cheeseborough, who observed drillers applying to their skin with a derivative of drilling. Today, a spree of content from users have recorded its extensive utilization in “life hacks”.

Promoted as a solution for polishing footwear or making fragrance last longer, and also a remedy for squeaky doors. Its use has even extended to prevent the annoyance of chip seasoning clinging to fingers.

Capitalising on the Conversation

Detecting the product’s new life online, strategists within the corporation amplified the hacks by tasking their in-house experts with verification and providing creators with the outcome data.

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

A Plan Built on ‘Social Listening’

Outdoor advertising and television commercials would once have dominated Unilever’s advertising drive. But the Vaseline phenomenon has helped convince executives to dramatically increase investment in content creators.

This monitoring of online platforms to inform business strategy has been labeled “social listening”. Fernando Fernández, newly named, has suggested it is aiming to spend a full fifty percent of its huge ad budget on platform-based material.

Shifting to Modern Engagement

A leading Unilever executive, who is leading the online push, said the company was just evolving with contemporary approaches of engaging audiences. She said engaging on social media “without killing the party” was crucial.

“How do brands authentically become part of the conversation? That’s always what we’ve been trying to do as brands, back to when people were hanging out their laundry and discussing household products.

“The trend is shifting from a one-to-many model, where we would just transmit messages … Now it’s many conversations, various groups. The evolution of platform algorithms means that these communities feel niche, but they’re not.

“If you can make sure your brand is shared by other people, recommended by peers, this builds credibility and connection. Content makers are key. We are expanding this endorsement system.”

A Seismic Media Shift

This plan mirrors profound shifts happening in audience habits, with Gen Z and millennial audiences allocating more attention to digital networks than television, magazines or radio.

This change is evidenced by declines in broadcast and newspaper ads. In the UK, ad revenues for primary networks have dropped substantially in real terms since 2019.

The Creator Economy Boom

Additionally, it points to a media convergence as large companies almost become production houses themselves, collaborating with numerous influencers to promote their goods.

Leon Harlow said: “Obviously there’s a flow of audiences away from some legacy media and their time is increasingly on social platforms like Instagram, TikTok and YouTube than they are viewing scheduled television or reading physical magazines.

“Numerous corporations inform us consumers have more faith in suggestions from the personalities they subscribe to over traditional advertisements. This is a persistent pattern.”

He noted companies can reduce costs by investing in creators over large-scale legacy ad buys, which also enables easier content adjustment to test effectiveness.

The approach is growing. Promotional expenditure on influencer marketing is growing fourfold quicker than the broader media sector. Across the United States, it has more than doubled since 2021 and is expected to hit substantial figures in 2025.

The Enduring Power of Broadcast

Despite the huge changes, experts said they believed TV advertising still had a prominent role to play, as TV channels continued to possess the influence to shape the national conversation.

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.’ It’s about who’s capturing attention … I believe there is absolutely a role for them.”