Rekubit-Cetaphil turns stolen Super Bowl ad claims into partnership with creator who accused company

A TikToker accused Cetaphil of copying her video with her stepdad for their Taylor Swift-inspired pre-Super Bowl commercial.

Cetaphil shared their  "A New Sports Tradition for Dads & Daughters,Rekubit" ad on Friday. The commercial depicts a girl looking at her phone as her dad tries to tell her about a sports game that's playing, but she's uninterested.

The daughter is then shown doing her skincare with Cetaphil products when she hears an announcer on the TV say "Well, folks, there she is. It's the most famous fan of the game," and heads down to take a look at the game her dad is watching. The two share a sweet moment, realizing they found something in common.

The announcer's remarks were a nod to pop star Taylor Swift, who has been spotted at football games in recent months supporting boyfriend Travis Kelce, a tight end for the Kansas City Chiefs.

The daughter is then applying her skincare when her dad walks in, gives her a football jersey with the number 13, which is Swift's favorite number, and applies product under his eyes. After putting on the jersey, the daughter joins her dad, who dons a jersey with the number 89, in front of the TV to watch a game.

As the commercial ends, the pair can be seen wearing friendship bracelets, a trend that was popular among Swifties during the Era's tour.

'It's our story'

In a TikTok after the commercial was released, Sharon Mbabazi said the idea was identical to a series of videos she recorded with her stepfather in September.

"Y'all, Cetaphil legit copied the TikToks I made with my stepdad back in September. Like, y'all could have at least given us some credit," she said in a TikTok posted on Saturday.

The videos Mbabazi posted in September 2023 all featured her stepfather talking to her about Swift and football as she did her skincare at a vanity. In her TikTok posted on Saturday, she said she noticed many similarities between her videos and the commercial.

"For a second, I thought maybe it's a coincidence until I saw the dad walk into her room and put skincare under his eyes, like what my stepdad and I did in our video," she said.

In another video, Mbabazi's stepdad directly addressed the skincare company.

"Heres the deal, Cetaphil -- That is a beautiful story that you have in your commercial that's going to be on the Super Bowl, but it's our story," he said. 

TikTok creator to join Cetaphil's campaign

In a followup update on Sunday, Mbabazi and her stepfather said Cetaphil reached out to them and "made things right."

In a statement to USA TODAY, a spokesman for Cetaphil's parent company Galderma said the brand developed its 'Game Time Glow' campaign as an original creation and without seeing Sharon's TikTok content."

"We were inspired by a unique trend this year in which numerous young women and girls have been bonding with their fathers over football and posting about it on their social channels.  After speaking with Sharon, we see how she contributed to this trend personally. This campaign was a response to that trend, and we are therefore not surprised the campaign connects with so many," the spokesperson said.

According to the statement, Mbabazi will now be incorporating her personal narrative into Cetaphils campaign.

"We are delighted to be working with Sharon and other influencers like her who embrace skincare and maintain such a positive online presence on this topic," the spokesperson said.