More than a century and a half after its invention on a Pennsylvania oilfield, Vaseline—the humble petroleum jelly—has found itself at the center of a digital renaissance. Once a staple tucked away in medicine cabinets, Vaseline has become a viral sensation on TikTok, a platform many might not have associated with a product first concocted in the 1870s. But in an era where authenticity trumps polish and social media trends can make or break even the most established brands, Vaseline’s story is emblematic of a seismic shift in how companies and creators approach the art of influence.
Vaseline’s unlikely comeback began with a wave of user-generated “life hack” videos on TikTok. These clips, often shot with little more than a smartphone and a dose of creative ingenuity, showcase the product’s versatility—from cleaning shoes and restoring handbags to prolonging the scent of perfume and even preventing flavored crisps from sticking to fingers. As reported by BBC, the variety of uses has sparked curiosity and engagement, propelling Vaseline into the feeds of millions of users worldwide.
Unilever, the consumer goods behemoth that owns Vaseline, saw the trend as an opportunity rather than a threat. Instead of relying solely on traditional advertising, Unilever leaned into the organic buzz. Marketers at the company asked their scientists to test the most popular online claims about Vaseline. When the science held up—such as for hacks that reduce the sting of spicy food on lips or restore leather goods—Unilever shared the results with creators. When claims didn’t pass muster, like promises that Vaseline could whiten teeth or lengthen eyelashes, the company didn’t shy away from debunking them publicly.
This approach, known as “social listening,” represents a marked departure from the old playbook. As Selina Sykes, a senior Unilever executive leading the effort, explained to BBC, brands must now “be part of the conversation without killing the party.” She emphasized that the shift is from “one-to-many broadcasting to many conversations across many communities.” In this new landscape, creators play a crucial role in building trust and relevance, serving as the bridge between brands and their audiences.
The Vaseline phenomenon is not occurring in isolation. Across the social media universe, a broader transformation is underway—one that’s upending long-held assumptions about what kind of content resonates and why. On January 1, 2026, Instagram head Adam Mosseri declared that the era of highly polished, AI-enhanced content is losing its grip. “For years, Instagram was defined by polished square photos—perfect makeup, smooth skin, dramatic lighting, and curated lifestyles,” Mosseri wrote in a post. “That version of the feed is dead.”
According to Mosseri, the proliferation of flawless, AI-generated visuals has made users more skeptical. Instead of being wowed by studio-quality photos and videos, audiences are now seeking out content that feels genuine, raw, and unmistakably human. “We’re entering a phase where imperfection becomes a signal of truth,” Mosseri noted. “In a world where anything can be perfected, rawness becomes proof. It’s a way of saying: this is real.”
The numbers back up this cultural pivot. Mosseri revealed that 20 percent of recommendations for new Instagram users are classified as low-quality AI content, raising questions about the platform’s content quality. As a result, Instagram is planning several changes: improving creative tools, clearly labeling AI-generated posts, and collaborating with device manufacturers to verify authenticity at the moment content is captured. These efforts, Mosseri said, are part of a broader move away from artificial perfection and toward real, human storytelling in the age of AI.
For brands like Unilever, the implications are profound. The company’s recently appointed chief executive, Fernando Fernández, has indicated that Unilever plans to allocate up to half of its vast advertising budget to social media content. The rationale is clear: younger audiences are spending far more time on platforms like TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube than on traditional television or print. According to BBC, TV advertising revenues in the UK have plummeted by more than £600 million in real terms since 2019—a stark indicator of the changing media landscape.
Industry data paints an even starker picture. The Interactive Advertising Bureau reports that spending on the creator economy is growing four times faster than the wider media industry. In the United States, expenditure in this space is expected to reach $37 billion by 2025. The allure is obvious: creators, with their authentic voices and direct relationships with followers, can move the needle in ways that glossy ad campaigns increasingly cannot.
But does this mean the end of traditional advertising? Not quite. Unilever and industry experts maintain that mass moments—like the Super Bowl—still deliver strong returns. These events remain powerful because they command collective attention, something that’s become increasingly rare in a world of fragmented media consumption. Still, the lesson from Vaseline’s TikTok resurgence is unmistakable: to thrive in the 21st-century algorithm, even the most venerable brands must listen first and broadcast later.
The move toward authenticity isn’t just a marketing fad; it reflects a deeper cultural yearning for connection and truth in an age awash with digital manipulation. As Mosseri put it, successful creators in the coming years will “deliberately lean into unpolished, unproduced, and even unflattering content to build trust and authenticity with their audiences.” Instagram, for its part, recognizes that it must evolve quickly to keep pace with these changes, or risk being left behind.
For Vaseline, a product born of 19th-century ingenuity, the embrace of digital imperfection has proved to be a winning formula. Its newfound relevance on TikTok—and Unilever’s willingness to validate or debunk viral claims—has turned the brand into a case study for how legacy products can ride the wave of social media trends without losing their identity.
As the boundaries between creator and consumer blur, and as platforms like Instagram and TikTok become the new arbiters of taste and trust, the stories we tell—and the way we tell them—are changing. Whether it’s a jar of petroleum jelly or a candid selfie, authenticity is now the currency of influence. And as the world scrolls on, one thing is clear: in the digital age, real beats perfect every time.
