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First identified over 150 years ago on a Pennsylvania oilfield, the modest tin of Vaseline may not seem like an clear candidate for online content feeds.

Nonetheless, its ascent as a TikTok talking point has positioned it at the vanguard of an advertising revolution, where major corporations are allocating substantial funds to content creators and devoting less capital to promoting products in traditional media.

The Path from Petroleum to Platforms

First created commercially in the 1870s by scientist Robert Cheeseborough, who noticed oil rig workers applying to their skin with a residue from oil extraction. Now, a flood of user-generated videos have chronicled its broad application in “practical tricks”.

Hailed as a remedy for cleaning shoes or extending perfume longevity, as well as a fix for creaky hinges. It has even been deployed to prevent the annoyance of chip seasoning clinging to fingers.

Leveraging the Buzz

Detecting the product’s new life online, executives at the multinational boosted the tips by tasking their in-house experts with verification and providing creators with the outcome data.

Suggestions that it lessened the burn from hot food on the lips were validated. Similarly supported were ideas it could lengthen scent duration and revive leather bags. Suggestions it could brighten smiles or lengthen eyelashes were debunked.

The ‘Digital Ear’ Approach

Outdoor advertising and television commercials would once have formed the bulk of its promotional efforts. Yet this viral episode has led decision-makers to dramatically increase investment in content creators.

This monitoring of online platforms to shape commercial tactics has been labeled “social listening”. Fernando Fernández, recently appointed, has stated the intention is to spend 50% of its massive marketing spend on platform-based material.

Evolving With Audience Behavior

A leading Unilever executive, who is spearheading the social media effort, said the company was merely adjusting to novel methods of engaging audiences. She said participating on platforms “without killing the party” was crucial.

“How can companies join discussions credibly? This has perpetually been our aim as brands, dating to when neighbors chatted over fences and talking about what they used.

“There’s this moving away from a one-to-many model, where we would just send out ads … Today, it's numerous dialogues, many communities. Changes in digital feeds means that these audiences appear specific, however, they are large.

“Having your brand advocated by consumers, recommended by peers, this builds credibility and connection. Creators are critical to that. This word-of-mouth strategy is being amplified.”

A Revolutionary Change in Media

The strategy reflects dramatic transformations happening in audience habits, with Gen Z and millennial audiences allocating more attention to apps like TikTok and Instagram than legacy broadcast and print media.

The shift is reflected in falling revenues for traditional media advertising. Across Britain, advertising income for primary networks have dropped substantially in real terms since 2019.

The Creator Economy Boom

This further signifies a merging of functions as large companies almost become production houses themselves, collaborating with hundreds of content creators to boost their products.

Leon Harlow said: “Obviously there’s a flow of audiences from conventional channels and they’re spending a lot more time on digital video and image apps than they are consuming linear broadcasts or printed matter.

“Numerous corporations inform us people trust recommendations from the creators they engage with compared to commercial messages. This is a persistent pattern.”

He said brands could also save money by targeting content creators over large-scale legacy ad buys, which also enables easier content adjustment to see what works.

The approach is growing. Promotional expenditure on digital creator partnerships is growing fourfold quicker than total media spending. Across the United States, it has more than doubled since 2021 and is expected to hit multi-billion dollar sums in 2025.

Traditional Media's Continued Place

Despite the huge changes, experts said they believed broadcast ads retained significant importance to play, as networks still held the capability to drive countrywide discourse.

She added: “Among the most effective advertising investments is still events like the Super Bowl. It's not a matter of networks declaring: ‘Our relevance has faded.’ It’s about who’s capturing attention … I think there’s 100% a place for them.”