Vaseline: Vaseline Originals
Vaseline tasked Ogilvy Singapore with addressing the lack of recognition for beauty creators who popularized the brand's products online. The goal was to move beyond simple trend validation and create a sustainable model that rewarded the original innovators. The client sought to strengthen brand loyalty by transforming these influential creators into official business partners, thereby legitimizing community-led innovation within the beauty industry.
Creative Idea
The brand turned viral user hacks into official products, paying creators for their ideas.
Vaseline transformed viral user-generated beauty hacks into official, commercially available products, providing the original creators with both formal recognition and a share of sales revenue to turn passive influencers into active business partners.
From Viral Hacks to Official Business Partners
Rewarding the Original Pioneers
The campaign centered on two specific creators who had pioneered Vaseline beauty hacks nearly two decades ago, long before the term "influencer" existed. By tracking down these early adopters, Ogilvy Singapore shifted the narrative from modern trend-chasing to honoring the brand's long-standing community history. This approach effectively turned passive social media users into official business partners, with creators receiving a direct percentage of sales revenue from the products inspired by their original content.
A New Retail Strategy
The rollout utilized a phased, digital-first distribution model. The debut occurred on March 30, 2026, via a live-streamed event that served as the primary test for the new product line. Following the initial success in Thailand, the campaign expanded to Singapore and the Philippines in June 2026. A key strategic decision was the exclusive use of TikTok Shop for these markets, bypassing traditional retail channels to meet the target audience exactly where they were already consuming beauty content.
Bridging Science and Social
Building on the foundation of the previous Vaseline Verified initiative, which focused on scientifically validating viral hacks, this campaign took the logical next step of commercialization. By formalizing the relationship between the brand and its community, Vaseline created a sustainable model for user-generated innovation. This shift allowed the brand to maintain its reputation for clinical efficacy while simultaneously embracing the unpredictable, creative nature of the modern creator economy. The project represents a significant evolution in how legacy brands leverage community-led insights to drive product development and market expansion.
Creative Strategy Deconstructed
Company
Vaseline leveraged its status as a versatile beauty staple that creators had been hacking for decades.
Category
Beauty brands typically ignore or exploit creator trends without providing credit or financial compensation to the originators.
Customer
Creators felt frustrated by the lack of recognition and ownership for the viral innovations they pioneered online.
Culture
The rise of the creator economy and the growing demand for brand accountability in digital spaces.
Company
Vaseline leveraged its status as a versatile beauty staple that creators had been hacking for decades.
Category
Beauty brands typically ignore or exploit creator trends without providing credit or financial compensation to the originators.
Strategy:
Formalize the relationship between brand innovation and community contribution to ensure mutual commercial success.
Customer
Creators felt frustrated by the lack of recognition and ownership for the viral innovations they pioneered online.
Culture
The rise of the creator economy and the growing demand for brand accountability in digital spaces.
Strategy:
Formalize the relationship between brand innovation and community contribution to ensure mutual commercial success.
Results
The campaign achieved significant success, including a +24% increase in new hacks, 1 product sold every 2 seconds, and sales that were +466% higher than standard Vaseline Jelly. The initiative was also recognized by the Financial Times as 'A New Standard For Creator Collaboration.'
+466%
outselling Vaseline Jelly
1 every 2s
product sold
+24%
new hacks
Strategy Technique
Turn Users Into the Story
By centering the campaign on the creators who actually built the brand's online reputation, Vaseline moved from being a faceless corporation to a platform that empowers and rewards its most loyal community members.
Explore Technique
Creative Technique
Turn Message into Product
The campaign physically manifested viral digital content into tangible retail products. This bridged the gap between online influence and commercial reality by validating the creators' original ideas.
Explore Technique
Craft Breakdown
The campaign excels by turning a standard influencer marketing strategy into a genuine, IP-sharing business partnership. This ethical approach to creator culture elevates the brand's credibility.
The strategy of tracking down decades-old internet creators to co-create physical products is a highly innovative approach to brand development.
The script clearly and powerfully frames the issue of creator exploitation and positions Vaseline as the solution.
