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As a product discovered more than 150 years ago in the oil fields of Pennsylvania, the modest tin of Vaseline might not appear as an natural focus for online content feeds.

Yet the brand’s emergence as a popular subject on TikTok has thrust it into the lead of an advertising revolution, seeing big businesses spending big on content creators and reducing expenditure on advertising goods in legacy broadcasters.

The Path from Petroleum to Platforms

Originally produced in the 1870s by scientist Robert Cheeseborough, who saw laborers using on their skin with a derivative of drilling. Today, a spree of content from users have documented the product’s widespread use in “life hacks”.

Hailed as a remedy for cleaning shoes or extending perfume longevity, and also a remedy 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, 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. Similarly supported were ideas it could lengthen scent duration and rejuvenate purses. Proposals that it might whiten teeth or extend lashes were debunked.

The ‘Digital Ear’ Approach

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

This tracking of digital spaces to inform business strategy has been termed “social listening”. Fernando Fernández, recently appointed, has stated the intention is to spend half of its colossal advertising budget on social media content.

Shifting to Modern Engagement

A leading Unilever executive, who is spearheading the social media effort, said the company was merely adjusting to novel methods of reaching consumers. She said participating on platforms “without spoiling the atmosphere” was paramount.

“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 broadcast out … Today, it's numerous dialogues, various groups. The evolution of platform algorithms means that these groups seem specialized, however, they are large.

“Having your brand advocated by users, talked about by other people, that fosters reliability and pertinence. Influencers are vital for this. We’re really scaling this advocacy model.”

A Seismic Media Shift

The strategy reflects profound shifts happening in audience habits, with the youth demographic spending more time on social media platforms than television, magazines or radio.

The transition is visible in declines in TV and print advertising. Within the United Kingdom, advertising income for leading TV channels have dropped substantially in actual value since the end of the last decade.

The Creator Economy Boom

It also reflects a merging of functions as brands effectively act as media producers, partnering with hundreds of content creators to promote their goods.

A commercial director at a major talent agency said: “Clearly, there is a migration of viewers out of certain traditional media outlets and they’re spending a lot more time on digital video and image apps than they are watching live TV or reading print.

“Many companies report to us consumers have more faith in suggestions from the personalities they subscribe to compared to commercial messages. That’s a consistent trend.”

He noted companies can reduce costs by investing in creators over expensive broadcast campaigns, which also allows them to tweak their content more easily to gauge performance.

The approach is growing. Advertising spending on digital creator partnerships is growing fourfold quicker than total media spending. In the US, it has increased by over 100% since 2021 and is projected to reach substantial figures in 2025.

TV's Lasting Role

Even with this transformation, executives said they believed broadcast ads retained significant importance to play, as TV channels continued to possess the influence to frame public debate.

She added: “A top-tier ROI marketing event is still major broadcast spectacles. The issue isn't broadcasters claiming: ‘We are no longer pertinent.’ The focus is on who seizes focus … There is undoubtedly a future for traditional media.”