Indie film-maker tells Nike: Their ad made by Obama's daughter is shockingly similar to her work ...

Indie filmmaker Natalie Jasmine Harris has publicly alleged that a recent Nike advertisement, directed by Malia Obama , bears striking similarities to her Sundance short film, "Grace." Harris expressed her concerns in a post on the social media platform X (earlier Twitter), noting the "shockingly similar" feel of the Nike commercial. She questioned why brands seeking a particular aesthetic don't hire the original creators, rather than relying on name recognition. Harris also tagged Nike and professional basketball player A'ja Wilson in the post that includes screenshots showing the similarity between her short film and the ad directed by the daughter of former US President Barack Obama and Michelle Obama.

Been sitting with this for a while. My Sundance short film GRACE (shot brilliantly by Tehillah de Castro) 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… pic.twitter.com/iy2N2krpQN

— Natalie Jasmine Harris (@nataliejharris) May 6, 2025

Indie filmaker alleges Malia Obama of 'copying' her film for Nike ad


According to the National Film Festival for Talented Youth, Harris’s film, “Grace,” was featured at Sundance 2024 and was a Vimeo Staff Pick. In her X post, she wrote: “Been sitting with this for a while. My Sundance short film GRACE (shot brilliantly by Tehillah de Castro) 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…”

I know art often overlaps, but moments like this hit hard when you’ve poured your heart into telling stories with care and barely get the recognition you deserve. If brands want a certain look, why not hire from the source instead of for name recognition? @Nike @_ajawilson22 pic.twitter.com/Y57ACZiPRe

— Natalie Jasmine Harris (@nataliejharris) May 6, 2025

In the same thread, Harris shared the Vimeo link to her short film and further wrote: “I know art often overlaps, but moments like this hit hard when you’ve poured your heart into telling stories with care and barely get the recognition you deserve. If brands want a certain look, why not hire from the source instead of for name recognition? @Nike @_ajawilson22”

I'm just going to leave this here.

This is my indie short film, "Grace," next to Malia Obama's @Nike x @_ajawilson22 commercial

It's devastating, but at least you can (hopefully) see that this is about much more than just pat-a-cake.... pic.twitter.com/71m0H5n84z

— Natalie Jasmine Harris (@nataliejharris) May 12, 2025

A few days later, Harris shared another post and said: “I'm just going to leave this here. This is my indie short film, "Grace," next to Malia Obama's @Nike x @_ajawilson22 commercial. It's devastating, but at least you can (hopefully) see that this is about much more than just pat-a-cake....”

In an interview with Business Insider, Harris noted: “I haven't heard from Malia Obama or Nike since speaking out, but I would like for there to be some acknowledgement. I was initially hesitant to speak out, since it involves a former president's daughter and a beloved brand like Nike. Criticising something involving the WNBA was also hard because it means a lot to me personally, and it already gets such a lack of a spotlight. But I've poured too much into my work to just sit by and watch.”