Aside from the football and its halftime show, one thing the Super Bowl is famed for is the advertisements shown during the sporting event.
However, Cetaphil’s latest Super Bowl ad has left fans fuming after they have been accused of copying a TikTok creator’s original video ideas.
Cetaphil is Bringing Skincare and Football Lovers Together
The ad shows a father trying to get his daughter interested in the game; however, she is uninterested and walks away.
Then, when the daughter is sitting doing her skin care, the announcer refers to a famous person whom the daughter is interested in, and she goes to sit and watch football with her dad.
The Ad Has Taylor Swift References
The famous celebrity the ad refers to is believed to be Taylor Swift.
The announcer on the ad refers to “the most famous fan of the game,” per Business Insider, which fans believe to be a hint toward Swift’s recent appearances at the Kansas City Chiefs games. The daughter is also wearing a jersey with the number 13 (Swift’s favorite number), and her dad has one with the number 89 (the year Swift was born).
The YouTube Description Says It All
If the clues within the ad about it being Taylor Swift-related weren’t enough, the YouTube video description from the ad says it all.
The Wrap reports that the description states that dads and daughters have been able to enjoy football together because of “a certain globe-trotting eras singer,” which is a pretty big hint as to who the ad was about.
Swifties Have Praised the Ad
With Taylor Swift potentially having some of the most dedicated fans in the world, the fact their favorite singer has been referred to in the ad has hit home to many.
As many Swifties have been able to bond with their dads over football as Taylor Swift is dating Travis Kelce and has been to many Chiefs games, they took to social media to show their support.
Taylor Swift Hasn’t Responded
One person who has been noticeably quiet about this whole thing is Taylor Swift.
Considering the whole Cetaphil ad hints toward being about her, Swift hasn’t commented on it at the time of publishing.
Cetaphil May Have Gotten Its Inspiration from TikTok
With the rise of TikTok in recent years and the variety of content on the platform, it’s very hard to come across a video that hasn’t taken inspiration from other creators.
However, TikTok creator Sharon Mbabzi believes that Cetaphil’s Superbowl ad has stolen the idea from a series of TikTok videos that she and her stepfather had started posting starting September 2023.
Mbabzi’s TikTok Videos Are Very Similar to the Cetaphil Ad
In Mbabzi’s TikTok videos, she is often seen sitting at her dresser doing her skin care while her stepfather talks to her.
In the videos, he will be talking to her about Taylor Swift, Travis Kelce, and the Chiefs. Many of these videos have gone viral and have millions of views due to the heartwarming moments between a stepdaughter and stepfather.
Difference Between Copying and Inspiration
It’s almost impossible these days to create something that doesn’t, at the very least, seem somewhat similar to what someone else has created, whether that is intentional or not.
While Cetaphil may have maintained that it took inspiration from a social media trend, there is a difference between this and taking most, if not all, of your content from someone else’s idea.
Mbabzi Hit Back at Cetaphil
Having seen the ad and realizing that it was very similar to the ones she had posted with her stepfather, Mbabzi decided to have her say.
In the TikTok, Mbabzi and her stepdad are talking about the ad, with her stepdad stating that it is “our story” and saying his “daughter made the content you [Cetaphil] stole.” He also asked for Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce to call Cetaphil out.
Mbabzi’s Followers Also Complained About the Ad
Having seen the ad for themselves and the videos made by Mbabzi, including the one where she and her stepfather called Cetaphil out, Mbabzi’s followers took to social media to complain.
Many commented on the video saying they were outraged that Cetaphil had done this. One user took to X (formerly Twitter), stating, “@Cetaphil needs to run Sharon Mbabzi and her stepdad their check for stealing her TikTok video to make a #SuperBowlLVIII commercial.”
Cetaphil Responds to the Outrage
With many people taking to social media to show their outrage for Cetaphil allegedly copying Mbabzi’s TikTok videos, Cetaphil decided to respond to the outrage.
In a statement to Today, Cetaphil said it was an “original creation” and that they hadn’t seen Mbabzi’s content. They said the ad had been inspired by “young women and girls [that] have been bonding with their fathers over football and posting about it on their social channels.”
Cetaphil Has an Offer for Mbabzi
With the outrage regarding the ad, Cetaphil decided to not only reach out to Mbabzi personally, but they also had an offer for her.
According to AdWeek, Mbabzi updated her followers on TikTok. She stated that Cetaphil had “made things right” and also teased that there might be something more to come and that they should stay tuned. Hopefully, this means something good will come out of this entire situation.
