A South Korean creator, Min Day Lee, went viral after pronouncing Vaseline as "Baseline" in an Instagram video that amassed more than 38 million views. In the clip, she showcased her collection of Vaseline products while repeatedly referring to them as "Baseline."
The post, captioned "I just love Vaseline," quickly caught the internet's attention and prompted the brand to join in on the joke. The official Vaseline Instagram account commented, calling her "THE QUEEN," while Vaseline India wrote, "BRB adding 'Vaseline for everything' to our personality."
Watch the video here:
Many social media users were intrigued by her pronunciation, with commenters asking why she pronounced Vaseline as "Baseline" or "Basrin," as it sounded to many non-Korean speakers.
Responding to the curiosity, Lee later shared a separate video explaining that the Korean language does not have a direct equivalent of the English "V" sound, which is often pronounced closer to "B." Her explanation further fuelled the trend, turning the pronunciation into a viral internet meme.
Watch the video here:
Vaseline embraced the moment, commenting, "Vaseline has never sounded this iconic." The brand said the product itself remained unchanged, with only the first letter varying depending on how people pronounced its name.
The company also credited Lee for the viral trend, jokingly appointing her "CEO of Baseline" and noting that no interview was required for the role.
Vaseline added that its name has been pronounced, adapted and localised in different ways around the world for nearly 150 years, describing the variations as a reflection of the brand's global reach and cultural impact.
