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First identified more than 150 years ago within a Pennsylvania drilling site, the simple jar of Vaseline could hardly be considered an obvious target for digital platform algorithms.

However, its rise as a viral TikTok topic has thrust it into the lead of an advertising revolution, where major corporations are spending big on content creators and reducing expenditure on advertising goods in conventional outlets.

A Journey from Drilling to Digital

First created commercially in the 1870s by scientist Robert Cheeseborough, who saw laborers rubbing their skin with a byproduct of the drilling process. Today, a spree of user-generated videos have documented the product’s widespread use in “everyday tips”.

Promoted as a fix for dirty sneakers or making fragrance last longer, along with a cure for noisy doorways. It has even been deployed to prevent the annoyance of crisp flavouring sticking to fingers.

Leveraging the Buzz

Spotting its digital renaissance, marketers at Unilever boosted the tips 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 confirmed. So too were ideas it could lengthen scent duration and rejuvenate purses. Claims that it would brighten smiles or lengthen eyelashes were disproven.

A Plan Built on ‘Social Listening’

Print ads and broadcast spots would once have been the cornerstone of its marketing push. But the Vaseline phenomenon has persuaded leaders to ramp up funding for content creators.

This observation of social channels to guide corporate planning has been dubbed “social listening”. Fernando Fernández, newly named, has stated the intention is to spend a full fifty percent of its huge ad budget on social media content.

Evolving With Audience Behavior

Selina Sykes, 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 paramount.

“How do brands authentically become part of the conversation? This remains our core objective as brands, since the era of community gossip and talking about what they used.

“We are witnessing a departure from a broadcast model, where we would just broadcast out … Currently, it's countless discussions, diverse communities. Changes in digital feeds means that these groups seem specialized, but they’re not.

“If you can make sure your brand is shared by consumers, mentioned by individuals, this builds credibility and connection. Creators are critical to that. We’re really scaling this advocacy model.”

A Revolutionary Change in Media

The strategy reflects dramatic transformations happening in audience habits, with younger consumers devoting greater hours to apps like TikTok and Instagram than legacy broadcast and print media.

The shift is reflected in declines in traditional media advertising. Within the United Kingdom, commercial funding for major broadcasters have declined by over six hundred million pounds in real terms since 2019.

The Rise of the Creator Economy

Additionally, it points to a blurring of media roles as corporations essentially turn into content studios, collaborating with hundreds of content creators to enhance their items.

Leon Harlow said: “Naturally, an exodus of attention out of certain traditional media outlets and their time is increasingly on digital video and image apps than they are watching live TV or reading print.

“Many companies report to us people trust recommendations from the personalities they subscribe to over traditional advertisements. It's an ongoing shift.”

He said brands could also save money by focusing on influencers over large-scale legacy ad buys, which also allows them to tweak their content more easily to gauge performance.

This strategy is expanding. Advertising spending on the creator economy is growing fourfold quicker than the broader media sector. Stateside, it has over doubled since 2021 and is expected to hit multi-billion dollar sums in 2025.

Traditional Media's Continued Place

Despite the huge changes, industry figures said they believed television commercials still played a key part to play, as TV channels continued to possess the influence to shape the national conversation.

She added: “One of the highest return-on-investment media opportunities is still major broadcast spectacles. The issue isn't broadcasters claiming: ‘We are no longer pertinent.’ It’s about who’s capturing attention … I think there’s 100% a place for them.”