Aflac and The Duck

“Aflaaaac!” the duck quacked after a man whose arm was bound up in a sling and bandages. He was bemoaning not having enough insurance to cover all his medical and other bills. The man never saw the duck or the advice he was offering. Aflac's ad camaign, featuring the duck, told stories in their commercials of all kinds of people who had not gotten supplemental insurance and were now hurt. They couldn't get the help they needed because they hadn't signed up for Aflac's insurance. TV commercials played this and other similar commercials repeatedly for several years, reminding people to get more insurance than they think they might need, through Aflac.

Aflac actually stands for American Family Life Assurance Company of Columbus. They are based in Georgia. While this is still their official company name, they shortened the name, and simply became commonly known as Aflac. They offer supplemental health insurance, that is meant to provide coverage after your primary health insurance has provided for you all that the policy will allow. Supplemental insurance helps with bills that you did not expect, and that your regular insurance will not cover. Aflac wanted to increase their market share and public recognition of their (boring) name, so they hired a marketing consultant company to come up with a creative marketing campaign for them.

One day, one of their marketing consultants realized suddenly that name Aflac sounds a lot like the quack of a duck. So they began to feature a duck in their television commercials, quacking “AFLAC!” after consumers who needed a supplemental insurance plan, as if the consumer didn't get it. Of course, you the viewer know why they are being “quacked” after. They need Aflac insurance! A second marketing campaign featured the duck helping you “Get the Aflacts”, that is, more detailed information about Aflac and its insurance policies. The duck has since been named on “Madison Avenue's Walk of Fame as one of America's Favorite Advertising Icons” (see Wikipedia link at end of this article).

The Aflac duck they created is a great character. He can be seen as cute and adorable, but he is also quite serious, with a message to send about Aflac. He has a little bit of attitude as well. Insisting that he knows how to help you with your medical and other bills, he doesn't give up. He quacks his message again and again. He is a little dynamite, with plenty of cuteness to go along with it. It's the perfect blend that catches your attention and amuses you while enforcing Aflac's message.

This marketing and name recognition campaign has worked very well. So well, that when some children were asked what a duck says, they responded with “Aflac!”. It's amazing that the normal sound of a duck has been replaced with a company name, in the minds of young children. It has become an interesting experiment in human psychology, that it's possible to change the current thinking so that a common animal is now connected with a company previously unheard of. And Aflac has a new identity.

The Aflac duck commercials have featured popular celebrities and sports stars, as well as cartoon characters like Bugs Bunny and Road Runner. The Aflac duck has become a star himself. Now you can watch him over and over again at YouTube, read his page on Facebook, read his twits on Twitter, and even buy an Aflac duck for yourself. There is also Aflac logo gear available to purchase.

This duck campaign worked so well that Aflac decided to run the duck commercials in Japan. It was the first time they had taken a US-based ad campaign to Japan. Aflac first started out doing business in Japan, and then expanded to the United States. They have since become recognized nationally for their efforts in philanthropy and improving the lives of others. They have contributed millions of dollars to several cancer research and other disease research facilities. Also, Aflac has been recognized in numerous magazines, including Forbes, Fortune, Newsweek, Latina, and others, for its business achievements. Aflac has continued to demonstrate commitment to being and staying environmentally friendly, under the direction of CEO Dan Amos. CEO Amos is also responsible for bringing to life the Aflac-duck recognition campaign. Under Mr. Amos's (and the duck's) time in office, Aflac's revenues have multiplied 10 times.

Today, Aflac is the largest supplemental insurance company in the United States. Their revenues increased from $2.7 billion to $13 billion under CEO Amos's leadership. Aflac began using the duck as part of its logo, starting in 2005. The letter L in Aflac features the head and shoulders of a duck with its mouth just slightly open. In short, the Aflac duck has influenced its company's sales, young children's perception of quacking, and even become a star itself. Quite a lot of accomplishment for a little duck.