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As a product discovered more than 150 years ago on a Pennsylvania oilfield, the humble pot of Vaseline could hardly be considered an natural focus for online content feeds.

Yet the brand’s emergence as a viral TikTok topic has positioned it at the vanguard of an advertising revolution, in which large companies are spending big on content creators and devoting less capital to advertising goods in traditional media.

The Path from Petroleum to Platforms

The petroleum jelly was first manufactured in the 1870s by a chemist, Robert Cheeseborough, who saw laborers using on their skin with a byproduct of the drilling process. Today, a spree of content from users have recorded its extensive utilization in “life hacks”.

Hailed as a remedy for cleaning shoes or making fragrance last longer, along with a cure for squeaky doors. Users have even applied it to stop the scourge of chip seasoning clinging to fingers.

Leveraging the Buzz

Spotting its digital renaissance, executives at the multinational boosted the tips by having their research teams evaluate the claims and letting the content creators in on the results.

Suggestions that it lessened the sensation of spicy food on lips were given the thumbs up. So too were ideas it could lengthen scent duration and rejuvenate purses. Proposals that it might whiten teeth or make eyelashes longer were debunked.

The ‘Social Listening’ Strategy

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 observation of social channels to guide corporate planning has been labeled “social listening”. The company's chief executive, recently appointed, has stated the intention is to spend 50% of its massive marketing spend on social media content.

Evolving With Audience Behavior

A leading Unilever executive, who is leading the online push, said the company was simply adapting to new ways of reaching consumers. She said participating on platforms “without spoiling the atmosphere” was crucial.

“What is the key to genuine brand integration? That’s always what we’ve been trying to do as brands, dating to when neighbors chatted over fences and talking about what they used.

“The trend is shifting from a broadcast model, where we would just send out ads … Today, it's numerous dialogues, various groups. Changes in digital feeds means that these communities feel niche, however, they are large.

“Ensuring your product is discussed by consumers, recommended by peers, that is how you can build trust and relevance. Content makers are key. We are expanding this endorsement system.”

A Seismic Media Shift

This plan mirrors profound shifts happening in audience habits, with younger consumers devoting greater hours to apps like TikTok and Instagram than traditional TV, print, or radio.

This change is evidenced by falling revenues for TV and print advertising. Across Britain, advertising income for major broadcasters have fallen by more than £600m in inflation-adjusted terms since 2019.

The Rise of the Creator Economy

It also reflects a media convergence as brands effectively act as media producers, linking up with numerous influencers to promote their goods.

A commercial director at a major talent agency said: “Obviously there’s a flow of audiences away from some legacy media and they’re spending a lot more time on digital video and image apps than they are watching live TV or reading print.

“A lot of brands are telling us audiences believe endorsements from the individuals they follow compared to commercial messages. This is a persistent pattern.”

He noted companies can reduce costs by targeting content creators over expensive broadcast 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 increasing four times faster than the media industry overall. Across the United States, it has over doubled since 2021 and is projected to reach substantial figures in 2025.

Traditional Media's Continued Place

Regardless of the massive shift, experts said they believed TV advertising still had a prominent role to play, as broadcasters retained the power to drive countrywide discourse.

She added: “A top-tier ROI marketing event is still events like the Super Bowl. It’s not about those broadcasters saying: ‘Our relevance has faded.’ It’s about who’s capturing attention … I believe there is absolutely a role for them.”