Who knew a funny-sounding duck would become so famous and successful?
No, we’re not talking about Daffy or Donald. Aflac, America’s favorite spokes-duck, is turning 25, and the company is taking a look back at all the commercials that made it famous. From its humble beginning in commercials voiced by Gilbert Godfried, to the floor of the New York Stock Exchange, Aflac (as the duck is officially called) has transformed into a powerful corporate mascot over the past quarter-century. And the company’s longtime CEO, Dan Amos, says it all started with two advertising executives sitting on a park bench – but eventually became the biggest gamble of his career.
“When it ran and I saw it,” Amos told Fox News, “I realized I had bet my entire career on a damn duck! But today, millions of people throughout the U.S. know the Aflac Duck.”
Amos credits the humor and spontaneity of Aflac for its longevity and popularity. But it’s not just about laughs. He says the company was able to use the humor to tap into a major complaint among insurance customers at the time.
“We always had it said three times – Aflac! Aflac! Aflac,” says Amos, “and what we found out was consumers were frustrated too that they weren’t being heard or listened to.” That realization ended up changing the face of advertising, showing that “serious” businesses like insurance companies can have a lighter side, too.
And it worked. Within three years, Aflac’s sales doubled and name recognition shot from 10 percent to 90 percent. And now the duck is helping beyond the bottom line. Proceeds from its sale are used to fund the Aflac Cancer and Blood Disorders Center in Atlanta. So far, more than $200 million has been raised.
The company also produces a special robotic version of the duck that helps soothe child cancer and sickle cell patients, which it distributes free at treatment centers throughout the country. Aflac has given away almost 40,000 of those special ducks, with plans for many more in the coming years. Amos says it’s all part of a company-wide culture of philanthropy. “As you can imagine, when the child’s calm, the parents are calm,” he says. “And so, it works hand in hand in ultimately making things better.”
