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Originally found more than 150 years ago on a Pennsylvania oilfield, the modest tin of Vaseline may not seem like an natural focus for social media algorithms.

However, its rise as a popular subject on TikTok has positioned it at the vanguard of an advertising revolution, in which large companies are allocating substantial funds to content creators and devoting less capital to marketing items in legacy broadcasters.

From Oil Rigs to Online Hacks

Originally produced in the 1870s by chemist Robert Cheeseborough, who noticed oil rig workers using on their skin with a residue from oil extraction. Today, a spree of amateur-created clips have recorded its extensive utilization in “everyday tips”.

Promoted as a fix for dirty sneakers or making fragrance last longer, and also a remedy for creaky hinges. Its use has even extended to combat the nuisance of snack dust adhering to hands.

Capitalising on the Conversation

Noticing its viral resurgence, marketers at Unilever 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 burn from hot food on the lips were validated. So too were ideas it could prolong perfume and rejuvenate purses. Suggestions it could whiten teeth or lengthen eyelashes were disproven.

A Plan Built on ‘Social Listening’

Print ads and broadcast spots would once have dominated Unilever’s advertising drive. However, this online trend has helped convince executives to turbocharge spending on content creators.

This tracking of digital spaces to inform business strategy has been labeled “social listening”. The company's chief executive, newly named, has stated the intention is to spend a full fifty percent of its huge ad budget on platform-based material.

Adapting to New Consumer Habits

A leading Unilever executive, who is heading the digital initiative, said the company was simply adapting to new ways of reaching consumers. She said engaging on social media “without spoiling the atmosphere” 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 talking about what they used.

“The trend is shifting from a mass communication approach, where we would just transmit messages … Today, it's numerous dialogues, many communities. The shift of the algorithms means that these communities feel niche, but they’re not.

“If you can make sure your brand is shared by users, mentioned by individuals, that fosters reliability and pertinence. Influencers are vital for this. This word-of-mouth strategy is being amplified.”

A Revolutionary Change in Media

The strategy reflects profound shifts occurring in how media is consumed, with the youth demographic spending more time on apps like TikTok and Instagram than legacy broadcast and print media.

The transition is visible in drops in TV and print advertising. Across Britain, commercial funding for leading TV channels have fallen by more than £600m in real terms since 2019.

The Creator Economy Boom

Additionally, it points to a merging of functions as corporations essentially turn into content studios, collaborating with hundreds of content creators to promote their goods.

A commercial director at a major talent agency said: “Naturally, an exodus of attention from conventional channels and they are dedicating far more hours to Instagram, TikTok and YouTube than they are viewing scheduled television or reading physical magazines.

“Many companies report to us people trust recommendations from the individuals they follow compared to commercial messages. That’s a consistent trend.”

He noted companies can reduce costs by targeting content creators over expensive broadcast campaigns, which also enables easier content adjustment to test effectiveness.

This strategy is expanding. Advertising spending on the creator economy is increasing four times faster than the broader media sector. Stateside, it has more than doubled since 2021 and is projected to reach substantial figures in 2025.

TV's Lasting Role

Even with this transformation, experts said they believed broadcast ads retained significant importance to play, as broadcasters retained the power to shape the national conversation.

She added: “One of the highest return-on-investment media opportunities is still major broadcast spectacles. It’s not about those broadcasters saying: ‘Our relevance has faded.’ It’s about who’s capturing attention … I think there’s 100% a place for them.”