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Originally found over 150 years ago in the oil fields of Pennsylvania, the humble pot of Vaseline could hardly be considered an obvious target for online content feeds.

However, its rise as a viral TikTok topic has placed it at the forefront of an advertising revolution, where major corporations are investing heavily in content creators and putting fewer resources into 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 applying to their skin with a derivative of drilling. Now, a flood of content from users have recorded its extensive utilization in “life hacks”.

Hailed as a remedy for cleaning shoes or making fragrance last longer, as well as a fix for noisy doorways. It has even been deployed to combat the nuisance of chip seasoning clinging to fingers.

Capitalising on the Conversation

Spotting its digital renaissance, strategists within the corporation amplified the hacks by asking their own scientists to test them and sharing the findings with influencers.

Suggestions that it lessened the sensation of spicy food on lips were confirmed. So too were ideas it could lengthen scent duration and rejuvenate purses. Claims that it would whiten teeth or make eyelashes longer were refuted.

The ‘Social Listening’ Strategy

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

This tracking of digital spaces to guide corporate planning has been dubbed “social listening”. Unilever's CEO, freshly instated, has indicated the goal is to spend 50% of its massive marketing spend on social media content.

Shifting to Modern Engagement

Selina Sykes, who is heading the digital initiative, said the company was just evolving with contemporary approaches of connecting with customers. She said participating on platforms “without killing the party” was paramount.

“What is the key to genuine brand integration? That’s always what we’ve been trying to do as brands, since the era of community gossip and discussing household products.

“There’s this moving away from a mass communication approach, where we would just send out ads … Currently, it's countless discussions, diverse communities. Changes in digital feeds means that these groups seem specialized, yet they are vast.

“Ensuring your product is discussed by consumers, mentioned by individuals, 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

This plan mirrors profound shifts taking place in media consumption, with Gen Z and millennial audiences spending more time on social media platforms than television, magazines or radio.

The transition is visible in falling revenues for TV and print advertising. Across Britain, ad revenues for primary networks have fallen by more than £600m in inflation-adjusted terms since 2019.

The Rise of the Creator Economy

This further signifies a blurring of media roles as large companies almost become production houses themselves, linking up with hundreds of content creators to promote their goods.

Leon Harlow said: “Naturally, an exodus of attention away from some legacy media and they are dedicating far more hours to digital video and image apps than they are watching live TV or reading print.

“Many companies report to us audiences believe endorsements from the personalities they subscribe to compared to commercial messages. It's an ongoing shift.”

He said brands could also save money by focusing on influencers over large-scale legacy ad buys, which also enables easier content adjustment to test effectiveness.

This strategy is expanding. Promotional expenditure on the creator economy is growing fourfold quicker than the broader media sector. Stateside, it has more than doubled since 2021 and is projected to reach tens of billions in 2025.

TV's Lasting Role

Even with this transformation, industry figures said they believed broadcast ads retained significant importance to play, as TV channels continued to possess the influence to shape the national conversation.

Sykes said: “A top-tier ROI marketing event is still events like the Super Bowl. It's not a matter of networks declaring: ‘Oh, we’re not relevant any more.’ It concerns who commands eyeballs … There is undoubtedly a future for traditional media.”