Malia Obama’s Nike Ad With Aja Wilson Sparks Plagiarism Allegations
A Nike commercial celebrating WNBA star A’ja Wilson’s first signature shoe has sparked controversy after filmmaker Natalie Jasmine Harris accused director Malia Obama of copying elements from her award-winning Sundance short film without attribution. The commercial, which features Wilson learning a reimagined version of the classic children’s hand-clapping game “Miss Mary Mack,” has drawn both praise for its celebration of Black girlhood and criticism for its alleged creative similarities to Harris’s 2024 Sundance film “Grace,” according to MSNBC.
The allegations have ignited a broader conversation about creative ownership, attribution, and the power dynamics at play in commercial filmmaking, with both Obama’s and Harris’s supporters weighing in on social media.
From Celebration to Controversy
The Nike commercial, directed by Obama as part of the rollout for Wilson’s “A’One” signature basketball shoe, initially received widespread praise for its authentic portrayal of cultural traditions. The advertisement shows a young girl teaching Wilson a hand-clapping game set to a reimagined version of “Miss Mary Mack,” with lyrics celebrating Wilson’s basketball achievements rather than the traditional rhyme.
The ad was one of two videos released to support the May 6 launch of Wilson’s signature shoe, with Obama’s involvement generating significant media attention. The 26-year-old daughter of former President Barack Obama has been building her filmmaking career since debuting her short film “The Heart” at the 2024 Sundance Film Festival and previously contributed as a writer on Donald Glover’s Amazon Prime series “Swarm.”
Black Enterprise celebrated how the commercial “pays tribute to Black girlhood, as a young Black girl teaches Wilson a reimagined version of the ‘Miss Mary Mack’ hand clapping game,” highlighting the cultural significance of this representation in mainstream sports marketing.
Claims of Creative Appropriation
The controversy erupted when filmmaker Natalie Jasmine Harris took to social media Monday to allege that Obama’s Nike advertisement bore striking similarities to her own short film “Grace,” which also screened at the 2024 Sundance Film Festival. The central point of contention involves scenes in both works featuring Black girls playing a hand-clapping game while seated on exterior steps.
“Been sitting with this for a while. My Sundance short film ‘Grace’ was made with deep love and care. The social cut of the new Nike commercial directed by Malia Obama (who was also at Sundance my year) feels shockingly similar to my work,” Harris posted on social media platforms, according to The Wrap.
Harris further emphasized that she and Obama were both present at the 2024 Sundance Festival, suggesting that Obama would have had the opportunity to view her work. She included comparison images showing visual parallels between the two productions and expressed disappointment that her creative approach had allegedly been appropriated without acknowledgment.
Cultural Context and Creative Significance
Beyond the specific controversy, both works have been recognized for their cultural significance in portraying authentic aspects of Black girlhood and community traditions. Harris described her film “Grace” as “a dramatic Black Southern Gothic and queer short film set in the 1950s that explores the conflicts that religious traditions and rites of passage often present in relation to identity formation.”
The Nike commercial, meanwhile, has been celebrated for elevating traditionally underrepresented cultural elements into mainstream commercial spaces. TheGrio noted how the ad “felt like an ode to Black girlhood, weaving in visual odes to the formative memories that shaped the WNBA star—and, really, so many of us.”
Wilson, currently one of the WNBA’s most prominent stars, plays for the Las Vegas Aces and holds two league MVP titles and an Olympic gold medal. Her new Nike signature shoe represents a significant milestone, as women athletes have historically received fewer signature shoe deals than their male counterparts.
Industry Implications and Ongoing Conversation
The controversy highlights persistent challenges facing emerging filmmakers in protecting their creative work, particularly when up against projects with powerful corporate backing and high-profile connections. Harris implied this power imbalance in her critique, questioning: “If brands want a certain look, why not hire from the source instead of for name recognition?”
Neither Nike nor Obama’s representatives have issued an official response to the allegations as of this reporting. The controversy comes at a critical moment as Nike launches Wilson’s signature shoe line and as Obama continues developing her directorial career following her Sundance debut.
HBCU Gameday noted another dimension of the commercial, highlighting that it incorporates “dancers from Benedict College, a historically Black college that holds personal significance for Wilson,” creating a meaningful connection to Wilson’s family legacy and educational heritage.
