Malia Obama is broadening her portfolio as a director. The eldest daughter of former president Barack Obama directed Nike’s latest commercial, starring basketball star player A’ja Wilson.
Malia Obama directed Nike’s latest ad campaign
The 26-year-old directed Nike’s newest commercial promoting Wilson’s debut signature sneaker. She was seen giving instructions to actors, which included Wilson in behind-the-scenes photographs.
The ad itself features children, teenagers and adults celebrating Wilson. The commercial offers a creative and colorful approach to introduce the WNBA’s star first shoes: the A’One.
Malia Obama has worked on several film and television projects
The budding director has worked on several projects over the years. She was an intern on the HBO TV series Girls and worked as a writer on Prime Video’s Swarm. In 2024, Obama presented her short film The Heart at the Sundance Film Festival and at the Deauville American Film Festival in September, where she received the Young Spirit Award.
The A’One is Wilson’s first signature shoe with Nike
The Nike A’One launches on Tuesday in the “Pink A’ura” colorway, according to Sports Illustrated. It is retailing for $110 and will be available at 10:00 a.m. EST on the Nike SNKRS app.
“The A’One is meant to go the distance, taking control from the jump and dominating the floor on every play,” Wilson said in a press release. “From the beginning, we designed the shoe to both support my game and to provide young hoopers a tool to help them level up. The A’One aces that assignment, delivering exactly what I need to push my performance and inspiring the next generation to give it their all on every play.”
Wilson has won two WNBA rings, two Olympic gold medals, as well as an NCAA title and three WNBA MVP awards.
