Vaseline Puts Nipple Care Front and Center With London Marathon Activation

Vaseline is solving a problem most runners don’t talk about, loudly and publicly.

The Unilever-owned skincare brand has rolled out its global “Nipple Sponsorship” initiative at the 2026 TCS London Marathon.

As the Official Nipple Protector for more than 100,000 runners, the effort tackles an overlooked issue in long-distance running.

And that's chafing and bleeding nipples, often referred to as the "runner’s nipple."

More than 59,000 participants were expected at the marathon, and Vaseline met them head-on with product distribution and on-course support.

The campaign builds on its earlier "Vaseline Verified" platform, where content creators and runners flagged nipple protection as one of the most effective uses of Vaseline Jelly.

“‘The Nipple Sponsorship’ recognises a hack trusted for decades,” said Nathalia Amadeu, Global Brand Director at Vaseline, Unilever.

“This isn't about one race or one city. It's about Vaseline showing up for every runner, on every course, at every distance, and making sure no one suffers a pain that was always preventable.”

Around 1.1 million people complete marathons globally each year, and nearly half of long-distance runners logging over 65 kilometers weekly experience nipple chafing.

Despite this, skin protection rarely gets the same attention as nutrition or hydration in race prep.

Created by Ogilvy Singapore, the campaign addresses a truth that many brands would avoid saying outright.

“The moment you say 'Vaseline is sponsoring nipples,' you've already won the room,” said Nicolas Courant, CCO at Ogilvy Singapore.

“This is a brand claiming ownership of a real, universal runner's truth that nobody else had the courage to name out loud.”

How Vaseline Shows Up From the Start to the Finish Line

Event marketing does a lot of heavy lifting here. 

At the London Marathon Running Show from April 22 to 25, Vaseline distributed free products to participants, ensuring runners entered race day prepared.

On the course itself, the brand installed “Nip Stops” along the 42.195-kilometer route, offering quick access to protection mid-run.

Outside London, the campaign stretches across global running hubs, including:

• Barcelona
• Madrid
• Rotterdam
• Singapore
• Sydney
• Hong Kong

The brand is also working with running creators like Johnny Morillo, Andrew Wheatcroft, and Gregor Macdonald, turning them into ambassadors who share practical nipple care advice alongside training content.

This creator layer makes sure the campaign also applies to everyday training routines, making the behavior repeatable and visible across social platforms.

Additionally, it also ensures first-time runners, who are often unaware of the hack, get introduced to it early.

Thanks to Vaseline Verified, what started as a validated hack has now become a global platform, addressing a problem many others might consider taboo. 

Vaseline’s Runner-Led Platform

Vaseline shows how listening closely to communities can unlock ideas that scale globally:

• Start with what people already do. When brands amplify real user behavior instead of reinventing solutions, campaigns feel more natural and easier to scale.
• Show up when it matters most.85% of event attendees consider buying after a live experience, proving that well-timed physical interactions can drive immediate action.
• Teach, don’t just promote. Creator partnerships are more effective when they focus on practical, repeatable use cases instead of being just surface-level endorsements.

Unilever reported €50.5 billion (approx. $59.2 billion) in revenue in 2025, further proof of its global reach and ability to support high-impact campaigns across different markets.

Our Take: Is Brutal Honesty the New Advantage?

Vaseline doesn’t clean things up or make them pretty. It just calls the problem what it is and owns it.

No one really talks about the runner's nipple, but a lot of runners experience it. 

This communication gap was the window for the skincare brand to create a campaign to get people to discuss a very real problem without the shame that might come with it. 

This is what makes the activation particularly refreshing. 

Vaseline was willing to say the uncomfortable part out loud, especially when everyone else is busy talking about performance, endurance, and personal bests.

It skips the poetry and goes straight to friction... literally. 

Recently, AXE took a very different route but with the same level of boldness, turning awkward dating moments into a TikTok-powered World Cup ticket mechanic.

These top agencies help brands translate long-held values into moments that feel grounded wherever they appear.