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As a product discovered over 150 years ago within a Pennsylvania drilling site, the simple jar of Vaseline might not appear as an clear candidate for digital platform algorithms.

However, its rise as a TikTok talking point 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 promoting products in traditional media.

A Journey from Drilling to Digital

The petroleum jelly was first manufactured in the 1870s by scientist Robert Cheeseborough, who observed drillers using on their skin with a byproduct of the drilling process. Now, a flood of user-generated videos have chronicled its broad application in “everyday tips”.

Promoted as a fix for dirty sneakers or making fragrance last longer, as well as a fix for creaky hinges. Users have even applied it to stop the scourge of chip seasoning clinging to fingers.

Capitalising on the Conversation

Noticing its viral resurgence, marketers at Unilever boosted the tips by tasking their in-house experts with verification and letting the content creators in on the results.

Suggestions that it lessened the sensation of spicy food on lips were confirmed. So too were ideas it could prolong perfume and revive leather bags. Proposals that it might bleach teeth or make eyelashes longer were disproven.

The ‘Digital Ear’ Approach

Outdoor advertising and television commercials would once have dominated Unilever’s advertising drive. However, this online trend has led decision-makers to turbocharge spending on content creators.

This observation of social channels to guide corporate planning has been labeled “social listening”. Unilever's CEO, newly named, has stated the intention is to spend half of its colossal advertising budget on digital creator content.

Shifting to Modern Engagement

The company's social media lead, who is spearheading the social media effort, said the company was merely adjusting to novel methods of engaging audiences. She said interacting online “without dampening the fun” was paramount.

“How do brands authentically become part of the conversation? This remains our core objective as brands, dating to when neighbors chatted over fences and talking about what they used.

“We are witnessing a departure from a broadcast model, where we would just send out ads … Currently, it's countless discussions, various groups. Changes in digital feeds means that these groups seem specialized, yet they are vast.

“Having your brand advocated by other people, recommended by peers, that is how you can build trust and relevance. Content makers are key. We are expanding this endorsement system.”

A Fundamental Consumption Turn

This plan mirrors seismic changes happening in audience habits, with younger consumers devoting greater hours to social media platforms than television, magazines or radio.

The transition is visible in drops in traditional media advertising. Across Britain, commercial funding for primary networks have fallen by more than £600m in real terms since 2019.

The Rise of the Creator Economy

This further signifies a media convergence as brands effectively act as media producers, linking up with a multitude of digital creators to boost their products.

An industry expert from a leading agency said: “Obviously there’s a flow of audiences away from some legacy media and they’re spending a lot more time on Instagram, TikTok and YouTube than they are viewing scheduled television or reading physical magazines.

“Numerous corporations inform us people trust recommendations from the creators they engage with over traditional advertisements. This is a persistent pattern.”

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 test effectiveness.

This strategy is expanding. Marketing investment on influencer marketing is growing fourfold quicker than total media spending. Across the United States, it has more than doubled since 2021 and is expected to hit tens of billions in 2025.

TV's Lasting Role

Despite the huge changes, industry figures said they believed TV advertising still had a prominent role to play, as networks still held the capability to frame public debate.

She added: “One of the highest return-on-investment media opportunities is still major broadcast spectacles. The issue isn't broadcasters claiming: ‘Oh, we’re not relevant any more.’ It’s about who’s capturing attention … I believe there is absolutely a role for them.”