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As a product discovered more than 150 years ago within a Pennsylvania drilling site, the simple jar of Vaseline may not seem like an obvious target for digital platform algorithms.

However, its rise as a TikTok talking point has positioned it at the vanguard of an advertising revolution, seeing big businesses spending big on content creators and putting fewer resources into advertising goods in traditional media.

A Journey from Drilling to Digital

Originally produced in the 1870s by a chemist, Robert Cheeseborough, who saw laborers applying to their skin with a derivative of drilling. Today, a spree of amateur-created clips have recorded its extensive utilization in “practical tricks”.

Promoted as a fix for dirty sneakers or extending perfume longevity, and also a remedy for squeaky doors. Users have even applied it to prevent the annoyance of chip seasoning clinging to fingers.

Harnessing the Hype

Spotting its digital renaissance, executives at the multinational amplified the hacks by tasking their in-house experts with verification and providing creators with the outcome data.

Assertions that it diminished the sensation of spicy food on lips were validated. So too were ideas it could prolong perfume and rejuvenate purses. Claims that it would bleach teeth or make eyelashes longer were refuted.

The ‘Digital Ear’ Approach

Billboards and TV ads would once have formed the bulk of its promotional efforts. Yet this viral episode has led decision-makers to turbocharge spending on content creators.

This tracking of digital spaces to guide corporate planning has been labeled “social listening”. Unilever's CEO, recently appointed, has stated the intention is to spend half of its colossal advertising budget on digital creator 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 connecting with customers. She said interacting online “without killing the party” was paramount.

“How can companies join discussions credibly? This has perpetually been our aim as brands, back to when people were hanging out their laundry and sharing usage tips.

“We are witnessing a departure from a broadcast model, where we would just broadcast out … Today, it's numerous dialogues, many communities. Changes in digital feeds means that these groups seem specialized, yet they are vast.

“If you can make sure your brand is shared by users, recommended by peers, that is how you can build trust and relevance. Creators are critical to that. This word-of-mouth strategy is being amplified.”

A Fundamental Consumption Turn

The strategy reflects dramatic transformations occurring in how media is consumed, with the youth demographic allocating more attention to digital networks than traditional TV, print, or radio.

The shift is reflected in falling revenues for traditional media advertising. Within the United Kingdom, commercial funding for leading TV channels have fallen by more than £600m in actual value since the end of the last decade.

The Creator Economy Boom

This further signifies a media convergence as brands effectively act as media producers, partnering with numerous influencers to enhance their items.

Leon Harlow said: “Clearly, there is a migration of viewers away from some legacy media and they are dedicating far more hours to digital video and image apps than they are consuming linear broadcasts or printed matter.

“A lot of brands are telling us people trust recommendations from the individuals they follow over traditional advertisements. That’s a consistent trend.”

He noted companies can reduce costs by investing in creators over big traditional media campaigns, which also permits simpler message refinement to gauge performance.

This strategy is expanding. Marketing investment on digital creator partnerships is growing fourfold quicker than total media spending. In the US, it has more than doubled since 2021 and is expected to hit tens of billions in 2025.

TV's Lasting Role

Despite the huge changes, executives said they believed TV advertising still had a prominent role to play, as networks still held the capability to drive countrywide discourse.

The executive noted: “One of the highest return-on-investment media opportunities is still events like the Super Bowl. The issue isn't broadcasters claiming: ‘Oh, we’re not relevant any more.’ It’s about who’s capturing attention … I believe there is absolutely a role for them.”