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As a product discovered over 150 years ago in the oil fields of Pennsylvania, the modest tin of Vaseline could hardly be considered an natural focus for digital platform algorithms.

Yet the brand’s emergence as a viral TikTok topic has thrust it into the lead of an advertising revolution, seeing big businesses investing heavily in content creators and putting fewer resources into marketing items in traditional media.

The Path from Petroleum to Platforms

First created commercially in the 1870s by a chemist, Robert Cheeseborough, who saw laborers rubbing their skin with a derivative of drilling. Currently, a wave of content from users have chronicled its broad application in “life hacks”.

Promoted as a fix for dirty sneakers or prolonging the scent of perfume, as well as a fix for creaky hinges. It has even been deployed to combat the nuisance of chip seasoning clinging to fingers.

Leveraging the Buzz

Noticing its viral resurgence, strategists within the corporation amplified the hacks by tasking their in-house experts with verification and providing creators with the outcome data.

Claims that Vaseline reduced the burn from hot food on the lips were validated. This was also the case for ideas it could extend fragrance and restore leather handbags. Suggestions it could bleach teeth or lengthen eyelashes were debunked.

A Plan Built on ‘Social Listening’

Print ads and broadcast spots would once have formed the bulk of its promotional efforts. However, this online trend has led decision-makers to ramp up funding for content creators.

This tracking of digital spaces to shape commercial tactics has been dubbed “social listening”. Fernando Fernández, freshly instated, has stated the intention is to spend half of its colossal advertising budget on digital creator content.

Shifting to Modern Engagement

Selina Sykes, who is heading the digital initiative, said the company was simply adapting to new ways of connecting with customers. She said interacting online “without dampening the fun” was essential.

“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 discussing household products.

“The trend is shifting from a broadcast model, where we would just transmit messages … Now it’s many conversations, diverse communities. The evolution of platform algorithms means that these groups seem specialized, yet they are vast.

“Ensuring your product is discussed by users, mentioned by individuals, this builds credibility and connection. Content makers are key. We are expanding this endorsement system.”

A Seismic Media Shift

This plan mirrors profound shifts taking place in media consumption, with Gen Z and millennial audiences devoting greater hours to social media platforms than legacy broadcast and print media.

This change is evidenced by falling revenues for traditional media advertising. Across Britain, commercial funding for leading TV channels have dropped substantially in inflation-adjusted terms since 2019.

The Creator Economy Boom

Additionally, it points to a merging of functions as large companies almost become production houses themselves, linking up with numerous influencers to boost their products.

Leon Harlow said: “Obviously there’s a flow of audiences out of certain traditional media outlets and their time is increasingly on Instagram, TikTok and YouTube than they are watching live TV or reading print.

“Many companies report to us people trust recommendations from the personalities they subscribe to more than they trust ads. That’s a consistent trend.”

He added firms may also cut expenditures by focusing on influencers over large-scale legacy ad buys, which also allows them to tweak their content more easily to test effectiveness.

Such methods are increasing. Advertising spending on the creator economy is growing fourfold quicker than the broader media sector. In the US, it has more than doubled since 2021 and is expected to hit tens of billions in 2025.

The Enduring Power of Broadcast

Even with this transformation, experts 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: “Among the most effective advertising investments is still major broadcast spectacles. The issue isn't broadcasters claiming: ‘We are no longer pertinent.’ It’s about who’s capturing attention … I think there’s 100% a place for them.”