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Originally found over 150 years ago within a Pennsylvania drilling site, the humble pot of Vaseline may not seem like an obvious target for online content feeds.

Nonetheless, its ascent as a popular subject on TikTok has thrust it into the lead of an promotional upheaval, in which large companies are allocating substantial funds to content creators and reducing expenditure on marketing items in legacy broadcasters.

From Oil Rigs to Online Hacks

First created commercially in the 1870s by a chemist, Robert Cheeseborough, who noticed oil rig workers applying to their skin with a residue from oil extraction. Today, a spree of user-generated videos have documented the product’s widespread use in “practical tricks”.

Promoted as a solution for polishing footwear or prolonging the scent of perfume, along with a cure for noisy doorways. It has even been deployed to stop the scourge of chip seasoning clinging to fingers.

Capitalising on the Conversation

Spotting its digital renaissance, executives at the multinational boosted the tips by tasking their in-house experts with verification and sharing the findings with influencers.

Assertions that it diminished the burn from hot food on the lips were validated. So too were ideas it could prolong perfume and restore leather handbags. Suggestions it could brighten smiles or make eyelashes longer were disproven.

The ‘Social Listening’ Strategy

Print ads and broadcast spots would once have dominated Unilever’s advertising drive. Yet this viral episode has helped convince executives to ramp up funding for content creators.

This observation of social channels to shape commercial tactics has been termed “social listening”. Unilever's CEO, recently appointed, has suggested it is aiming to spend a full fifty percent of its huge ad budget on platform-based material.

Evolving With Audience Behavior

A leading Unilever executive, who is leading the online push, said the company was merely adjusting to novel methods of engaging audiences. She said interacting online “without dampening the fun” was essential.

“How do brands authentically become part of the conversation? This remains our core objective as brands, dating to when neighbors chatted over fences and discussing household products.

“There’s this moving away from a broadcast model, where we would just send out ads … Now it’s many conversations, various groups. Changes in digital feeds means that these audiences appear specific, however, they are large.

“If you can make sure your brand is shared by other people, recommended by peers, that is how you can build trust and relevance. Content makers are key. This word-of-mouth strategy is being amplified.”

A Fundamental Consumption Turn

The approach indicates seismic changes happening in audience habits, with Gen Z and millennial audiences devoting greater hours to social media platforms than traditional TV, print, or radio.

The shift is reflected in drops in TV and print advertising. Across Britain, commercial funding for leading TV channels have fallen by more than £600m in actual value since the end of the last decade.

The Rise of the Creator Economy

This further signifies a media convergence as large companies almost become production houses themselves, partnering with a multitude of digital creators to enhance their items.

An industry expert from a leading agency said: “Naturally, an exodus of attention from conventional channels and their time is increasingly on Instagram, TikTok and YouTube than they are viewing scheduled television or reading physical magazines.

“A lot of brands are telling us audiences believe endorsements from the personalities they subscribe to more than they trust ads. That’s a consistent trend.”

He said brands could also save money by focusing on influencers over big traditional media campaigns, which also allows them to tweak their content more easily to see what works.

This strategy is expanding. Advertising spending on the creator economy is rising at quadruple the rate than the media industry overall. Stateside, it has increased by over 100% since 2021 and is expected to hit substantial figures in 2025.

The Enduring Power of Broadcast

Regardless of the massive shift, executives said they believed TV advertising still had a prominent role to play, as networks still held the capability to frame public debate.

She added: “A top-tier ROI marketing event is still events like the Super Bowl. The issue isn't broadcasters claiming: ‘Oh, we’re not relevant any more.’ It concerns who commands eyeballs … There is undoubtedly a future for traditional media.”