MANILA, Philippines — One of the world’s most recognizable skincare brands has seemingly changed its name—but there is a hilarious twist.
Vaseline has temporarily embraced the name “Baseline” across some of its social-media accounts after a Korean beauty creator’s pronunciation of the brand name exploded online, turning an ordinary skincare video into an unexpected global marketing phenomenon.
The viral moment began with South Korean content creator Min Day Lee, known online as @mindaylee_, who posted a video showing her collection of Vaseline products.
Instead of pronouncing the brand as “Vaseline,” Lee repeatedly pronounced it in a way that sounded closer to “Baseline.”
What started as a simple pronunciation difference quickly became the main attraction of the video.
Reports said the original Instagram video surpassed 36 million views, with NDTV later reporting more than 38 million views as the trend continued to spread.
Why did “Vaseline” sound like “Baseline”?
The pronunciation was not simply a random mistake.
Lee later explained that the Korean language does not have the same native “V” sound found in English. When English words containing the sound are adapted into Korean, the pronunciation can move closer to a “B” sound, helping explain why “Vaseline” could sound like “Baseline.”
The explanation only pushed the trend further.
Social-media users began repeating the pronunciation, creating memes, remixes and their own versions of the joke. What could have been an ordinary pronunciation difference quickly became a recognizable internet catchphrase.
Then Vaseline joined the joke
Instead of correcting the viral pronunciation, Vaseline decided to embrace it.
The brand published a tongue-in-cheek announcement declaring that it was changing its name to “Baseline.”
Its social-media profiles in several markets also temporarily adopted the Baseline identity, turning the viral joke into an official brand moment.
The company even jokingly appointed Min Day Lee as the “CEO of Baseline”—without an interview.
The move transformed what began as a creator’s pronunciation into a full-fledged social-media campaign.
But did Vaseline really change its name?
No.
This is the part that can easily get lost amid the viral headlines.
The “Baseline” name change is a temporary social-media stunt and marketing activation, not a permanent corporate rebrand of Vaseline.
The product itself remains Vaseline, while “Baseline” is being used to participate in and amplify the viral conversation. Multiple reports explicitly described the move as a joke rather than an actual permanent renaming.
Vaseline’s response also leaned into the fact that its name has been pronounced and adapted differently around the world throughout its long history.
The brand framed those variations as part of what happens when a product becomes global—and turned one unexpected pronunciation into an opportunity to celebrate its international audience.
From pronunciation slip to marketing masterstroke
The Baseline episode is another example of how brands can turn an unpredictable social-media moment into an advertising opportunity.
Rather than fight a meme it did not create, Vaseline effectively joined the meme.
Its response gave the audience something new to play with while allowing the brand to remain part of the conversation without taking itself too seriously.
The campaign has also expanded beyond the original joke. Vaseline India encouraged users to create their own versions of the trend through the #VaselineHijacked campaign, with the brand recognizing selected creators as “Vaseline-Verified Hijack Icons.”
For Min Day Lee, what began as a casual skincare video suddenly turned into an international viral moment—and a joke appointment as the internet’s newest “CEO.”
And for Vaseline, one letter became the perfect excuse to remind millions of people about a brand they already knew.
So, is it Vaseline or Baseline?
Officially, it is still Vaseline.
But on social media, at least for now, Baseline has clearly entered the conversation.
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