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As a product discovered over 150 years ago on a Pennsylvania oilfield, the modest tin of Vaseline might not appear as an natural focus for social media algorithms.

Yet the brand’s emergence as a TikTok talking point has thrust it into the lead of an promotional upheaval, where major corporations are allocating substantial funds to content creators and putting fewer resources into promoting products in traditional media.

From Oil Rigs to Online Hacks

The petroleum jelly was first manufactured in the 1870s by a chemist, Robert Cheeseborough, who observed drillers applying to their skin with a byproduct of the drilling process. Now, a flood of amateur-created clips have recorded its extensive utilization in “practical tricks”.

Hailed as a fix for dirty sneakers or extending perfume longevity, as well as a fix for squeaky doors. It has even been deployed to stop the scourge of crisp flavouring sticking to fingers.

Capitalising on the Conversation

Spotting its digital renaissance, executives at the multinational boosted the tips by having their research teams evaluate the claims and providing creators with the outcome data.

Suggestions that it lessened the sensation of spicy food on lips were given the thumbs up. Similarly supported were ideas it could lengthen scent duration and revive leather bags. Claims that it would bleach teeth or make eyelashes longer were debunked.

The ‘Digital Ear’ Approach

Print ads and broadcast spots would once have formed the bulk of its promotional efforts. However, this online trend has helped convince executives to turbocharge spending on content creators.

This observation of social channels to guide corporate planning has been labeled “social listening”. Fernando Fernández, newly named, has stated the intention is to spend half of its colossal advertising budget on social media content.

Shifting to Modern Engagement

The company's social media lead, who is spearheading the social media effort, said the company was simply adapting to new ways of connecting with customers. She said participating on platforms “without killing the party” was essential.

“How do brands authentically become part of the conversation? That’s always what we’ve been trying to do as brands, since the era of community gossip and talking about what they used.

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

“If you can make sure your brand is shared by consumers, talked about by other people, this builds credibility and connection. Creators are critical to that. We are expanding this endorsement system.”

A Fundamental Consumption Turn

The approach indicates seismic changes occurring in how media is consumed, with Gen Z and millennial audiences devoting greater hours to apps like TikTok and Instagram than legacy broadcast and print media.

The transition is visible in drops in traditional media advertising. Within the United Kingdom, ad revenues for leading TV channels have fallen by more than £600m in real terms since 2019.

Influencer Marketing Expansion

It also reflects a blurring of media roles as large companies almost become production houses themselves, linking up with numerous influencers to boost their products.

A commercial director at a major talent agency said: “Clearly, there is a migration of viewers from conventional channels and they are dedicating far more hours to digital video and image apps than they are viewing scheduled television or reading physical magazines.

“Numerous corporations inform us consumers have more faith in suggestions from the individuals they follow 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 allows them to tweak their content more easily to see what works.

Such methods are increasing. Advertising spending on digital creator partnerships is increasing four times faster than the broader media sector. Across the United States, it has increased by over 100% since 2021 and is forecast to attain multi-billion dollar sums in 2025.

The Enduring Power of Broadcast

Even with this transformation, experts said they believed television commercials still played a key part to play, as broadcasters retained the power to frame public debate.

The executive noted: “One of the highest return-on-investment media opportunities is still major broadcast spectacles. It's not a matter of networks declaring: ‘Our relevance has faded.’ The focus is on who seizes focus … I think there’s 100% a place for them.”