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Originally found more than 150 years ago on a Pennsylvania oilfield, the modest tin of Vaseline might not appear as 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 spending big on content creators and putting fewer resources into marketing items in conventional outlets.

The Path from Petroleum to Platforms

Originally produced in the 1870s by a chemist, Robert Cheeseborough, who saw laborers using on their skin with a residue from oil extraction. Now, a flood of user-generated videos have chronicled its broad application in “practical tricks”.

It has been touted as a remedy for cleaning shoes or extending perfume longevity, and also a remedy for noisy doorways. It has even been deployed to prevent the annoyance of chip seasoning clinging to fingers.

Harnessing the Hype

Noticing its viral resurgence, strategists within the corporation amplified the hacks by tasking their in-house experts with verification and letting the content creators in on the results.

Suggestions that it lessened the burn from hot food on the lips were validated. This was also the case for ideas it could prolong perfume and rejuvenate purses. Claims that it would bleach teeth or make eyelashes longer were debunked.

The ‘Social Listening’ Strategy

Outdoor advertising and television commercials would once have formed the bulk of its promotional efforts. Yet this viral episode has helped convince executives to dramatically increase investment in content creators.

This tracking of digital spaces to shape commercial tactics has been labeled “social listening”. Fernando Fernández, freshly instated, has suggested it is aiming to spend half of its colossal advertising budget on digital creator content.

Evolving With Audience Behavior

Selina Sykes, who is heading the digital initiative, said the company was merely adjusting to novel methods of connecting with customers. She said participating on platforms “without killing the party” 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 mass communication approach, where we would just send out ads … Today, it's numerous dialogues, many communities. The evolution of platform algorithms means that these communities feel niche, however, they are large.

“If you can make sure your brand is shared by other people, mentioned by individuals, that is how you can build trust and relevance. Influencers are vital for this. We are expanding this endorsement system.”

A Fundamental Consumption Turn

The strategy reflects seismic changes occurring in how media is consumed, with Gen Z and millennial audiences devoting greater hours to digital networks than television, magazines or radio.

This change is evidenced by falling revenues for TV and print advertising. Across Britain, ad revenues 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 merging of functions 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: “Clearly, there is a migration of viewers from conventional channels and their time is increasingly on digital video and image apps than they are viewing scheduled television or reading physical magazines.

“Numerous corporations inform us audiences believe endorsements from the personalities they subscribe to 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 enables easier content adjustment to see what works.

Such methods are increasing. Marketing investment on digital creator partnerships is rising at quadruple the rate than total media spending. In the US, it has more than doubled since 2021 and is expected to hit substantial figures 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 broadcasters retained the power to frame public debate.

Sykes said: “Among the most effective advertising investments is still events like the Super Bowl. It’s not about those broadcasters saying: ‘Oh, we’re not relevant any more.’ The focus is on who seizes focus … I believe there is absolutely a role for them.”