A lot can be said about TikTok and its impact on our culture, but one of the more intriguing elements of the social media juggernaut is its ability to turn influencers, products and brands into viral sensations in seconds. And with a new generation leading the TikTok charge, you often have TikTokers discovering brands that have actually been around for, well, ever. Upon their discovery, they then either position said brands as the “must-have” of the moment, making what was once completely uncool suddenly very cool, or they come up with a creative spin on how to use a product, which breathes new life into that product’s uses and therefore sales.
Need examples? We’ve got ‘em! From brands that have never been cool suddenly trending to the point of staying sold out in retailers everywhere to brands that were cool decades ago having a resurgence, here are a few brands and products that have gotten the “vibes edit” thanks to TikTokers making them go viral.
CeraVe
Origin story: CeraVe is a drugstore brand that first hit shelves in 2005. It quickly became a dermatologist favorite thanks to its simple products that help restore the skin barrier, but it was far from glamorous.
Why it became cool: Multiple stars aligned with the brand, including wildly popular “skinfluencer” Hyram Yarbro reviewing the products; the post-pandemic return to simple skincare products and routines and the economy forcing people to look for affordable skincare options. CeraVe as a brand has also been smart about leveraging their newfound cult status and has built up their own social media accounts and even went “all in” with their massive Super Bowl commercial and campaign with actor Michael Cera.
The signature product: CeraVe Hydrating Facial Cleanser
CeraVe has a variety of cleansers good for various skin types, but this viral best-seller is good for all skin and works for everyone. And since many cleansers strip the skin and leave your face feeling dry and tight, this hydrating cleanser is a game changer for people with dry or sensitive skin.
Stanley
Origin story: If you’ve ever bought a Stanley from the brand’s website, you might have noticed it is stanley1913.com, and that 1913? Yeah, that’s when it was founded. This over 100-year-old company was known for durable, rugged metal thermoses used by construction workers, campers and even World War II pilots, because they were reliable and hard to break.
Why it became cool: Talk about a contrast, the cup is now a must-have for every soccer mom, cheerleader and middle schooler across the country. How? Again, we have social media to thank. After several notable influencers posted about the cups, suddenly, every female with a pulse wanted one. The excitement around the cups created a frenzy that found key colors quickly selling out at retailers, and scarcity only makes viral mania get stronger. People even mark their calendar around specific collection drop dates.
The signature product: Stanley 40-oz Quencher
The now classic strawed Stanley Quencer cups come in 30 oz and 40 oz sizes with the 40 oz being “the one” for most Stanley lovers. Before the Stanley frenzy started, most of the available colors were muted tones, but now new drops include vibrant shades that often sell out within minutes of hitting shelves (we’re talking to you, Barbie-pink). If you haven’t heard about the Valentine’s Day 2024 Stanley mayhem at Target stores, you should look it up for an eye-opening read.
Carhartt
Origin story: If you’ve never heard of Carhartt, chances are your dad, your plumber or your friend who operates a bulldozer has. No joke, Carhartt has been around since 1889 and makes literal men’s workwear like heavy-duty overalls, jackets, dungarees and beanies as staples.
Why it became cool: It didn’t hurt that workwear started having a moment with hip hop artists and streetwear aficionados, but with Carhartt, their viral moment (that has now been going on for a while) came in the form of celebs wearing their pieces. David Beckham and Rihanna started wearing the brand’s beanies, then jackets and suddenly everyone wanted to wear pieces from the brand.
The signature product: Men’s Knit Cuffed Beanie
The Carhartt beanie is now considered an iconic piece, and sporting it automatically gives you a level of street cred beyond any other beanies thanks to the Carhartt beanie wearers who have come before us. Everyone from Jennifer Lawrence to Harry Styles to Bella Hadid to A$AP Rocky regularly sport the beanie.
Vaseline
Origin story: Vaseline was first introduced to the masses in 1870, which is why every grandma’s house in America has a tub of it under the bathroom sink. Once reserved for unglamorous jobs and people who cared little about trends, all that changed in recent years.
Why it became cool: We have one word for you: Slugging. The concept of sleeping with a thick layer of, you guessed it—petroleum jelly!—on your skin so you wake up with ultra hydrated, glowing skin, originated in Korea, and went viral on TikTok in the US in 2022. As a result, despite the fact that the Vaseline brand has worked to release a variety of products that are more eye-catching, and dare I say sexy, the classic petroleum jelly has been as trendy as Drunk Elephant of late.
The signature product: Vaseline Original Petroleum Jelly
Perhaps the most occlusive ointment on the market, Vaseline forms a protective layer over your skin which seals in moisture and helps skin stay hydrated. That’s why it has long been used to help product cuts and scrapes, heal cracked lips and heels and now, is the hottest product in the #slugging trend.
JCPenney
Origin story: JCPenney first opened its doors in 1902 and is known as an anchor store in shopping malls as well as freestanding “Penny’s” being mainstays in small towns across America for decades. If it’s Sunday best clothes, golf-style menswear, your grandmother’s favorite “slacks” or family portraits taken in their portrait studio, JCPenney was good for it.
Why it became cool: After Sephora’s partnership with JCPenney ended (and they moved into Kohl’s), JCPenney pivoted to develop their own beauty space, and quite frankly, just did an awesome job. By hiring a team who understood not only beauty, but also beauty junkies, they stocked the shelves with a combination of under-the-radar, buzzy, already trending and eye-catching brands, and created a space beauty lovers wanted to be.
The signature product: The JCPenney Beauty Section
TikTokers took note of what the JCP beauty department was offering, and now people are flocking to their closest JCPenney to get their hands on brands like KimChi, Cosrx, Lime Crime, Youthforia and, of course, their Thirteen Lune partnership, which features BIPOC and female-owned beauty brands.
Ugg
Origin story: The Ugg brand was founded in 1978, but chances are, unless you were a resident of SoCal, where the surfer set embraced the boots, they weren’t on your radar until the early Aughts. Picture this: It’s the year 2000. We’ve made it past the initial Y2K scare. You’re looking at pictures of Paris Hilton, Lindsay Lohan, Katie Holmes and Beyoncé in CosmoGirl magazine, and they all have this in common: They’re wearing fur-lined, calf-length Ugg boots. Every teen idol and It Girl of the era wore Uggs, and every tween and teen spent a good portion of their time begging their parents to buy them.
Why it became cool: As fashion cycles, after the Uggs craze of the early 2000s subsided, Ugg boots went back to what they had been for decades prior: Just another boot brand that wasn’t at the forefront of the fashion zeitgeist. But unlike a lot of the other brands in this article, the Uggs comeback wasn’t happenstance or a lucky chance of an influencer talking about a product. Instead, the design team at Ugg worked to intentionally update and modernize their shoe to give it a competitive edge in the fashion world.
The signature product: Ugg Classic Mini Platform
The result of Ugg’s strategic and intentional designing was noticed by key players, and Bella Hadid was photographed in the new classic mini platform Ugg. Often a trendsetter, Bella’s look went viral with the Ugg Mini Platforms selling out everywhere and becoming the must-have fashion item on everyone’s list.
Aquaphor
Origin story: Aquaphor was launched in 1925 and sold exclusively to medical professionals until the early 1980s, when the brand’s Healing Ointment hit the consumer market. Since that time, it’s been recommended by countless pediatricians and dermatologists to millions of parents as the first line of defense to treat eczema in babies and kids. It’s a restaurant kitchen staple for cuts and burns, and it’s a major makeup artist secret, being used for everything from priming eyelids to creating a natural highlight.
Why it became cool: TikTok strikes again! Ideas like “skin sealing” and “slugging,” the general public’s greater understanding of protecting our skin barrier, along with trends like “not gatekeeping” has influencers sharing the tricks they’ve heard and learned from experts along the way. The post-pandemic desire to keep things minimal or budget-friendly is certainly a piece of this puzzle, too.
The signature product: Aquaphor Healing Ointment
A true skincare multi-tasker, this healing ointment is made with petroleum jelly, lanolin, glycerin and B5, which makes it great for getting rid of all manner of dry, itchy patches, and TikTokers use it for everything from removing makeup, keeping makeup in place (as a pre-makeup primer) and to make their own lip gloss (just combine with lip liner!).
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