Vaseline embraces viral ‘Baseline’ trend sparked by Korean influencer

A viral social media trend has emerged after South Korean beauty influencer Min Day Lee pronounced the brand name ‘Vaseline’ as ‘Baseline’ in a video showcasing her product collection. The pronunciation, influenced by the lack of a native ‘v’ sound in the Korean language, has garnered over 36 million views and sparked widespread memes and remixes across global social media platforms.

Vaseline has officially embraced the trend, participating in the internet-led movement by jokingly acknowledging a ‘rebrand’ to ‘Baseline’. The brand has updated its social media presence and designated Lee as a ‘Vaseline-Verified Hijack Icon’. Pratik Ved, VP of Skincare at Hindustan Unilever, noted that the brand’s role was to join the conversation created by the community rather than directing it.