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Aflac:More Than the Duck

Five years leading creative for one of America’s most recognizable brand icons

A young man on crutches stands in a pharmacy aisle next to a rack of crutches. — Aflac Isn’t · TV

01The challenge

After 20 years of the Aflac Duck, people knew the Duck but many didn’t know what Aflac did.

The brand had built enormous awareness, but there was still a gap in understanding.

02Brand stewardship

I led a refresh of Aflac’s brand guidelines for photography, video and typography, from the initial audit through rollout.

The guidelines gave in-house and agency teams a shared standard for the brand.

Brand guidelines, p. 14

Guidelines page “Composition & camera”: competitor imagery plotted by composition and camera style. — Brand guidelines, p. 16

Guidelines page “Stock imagery”: four examples of real, in-the-moment photography. — Brand guidelines, p. 24

Guidelines page summing up the shift: from scenes to moments, educating to storytelling, staged to real and authentic, static scenes to dynamic video. — Brand guidelines, p. 30

Guidelines page with a frame from the “Aflac Isn’t” TV spot: a young man on crutches in a pharmacy aisle. — Brand guidelines, p. 33

Guidelines page with a frame from the “Awards Show” TV spot: a man in a suit beside a limousine. — Brand guidelines, p. 34

Guidelines page showing employer collateral: two print pieces with real workplace photography. — Brand guidelines, p. 36

Guidelines page showing Aflac.com: a girl ice skating under the headline “Supplemental coverage for all life’s moments.” — Brand guidelines, p. 40

03The campaigns

03.1

Isn’t What You Think

A simple setup that helped people rethink what they knew about Aflac. The campaign ran across TV and social, with an Aflac Help Desk for fan questions, festival “Flock Spots” and a radio music partnership.

A man in a suit stands beside a limousine that has crashed into another car. — Award Show · TV

A social post titled “Aflac doesn’t cover: Spring break fails,” with the Duck being painted in bright colors. — Spring Break Fails · Social

The Aflac Flock Spot, an open-air lounge at a festival with a blue “Aflac Flock Spot” sign. — Flock Spots · Experiential

Festival-goers signing in on Aflac tablets at the Flock Spot.

The Aflac Help Desk counter inside the Flock Spot, in front of a blue tiled wall.

Inside the Flock Spot tent: wood walls, plants, an Aflac kiosk and the Help Desk.

03.2

Keep Your Lifestyle Healthy

We moved beyond cash-payment messaging to show what an injury can cost: the life you love.

A ski patroller with a mustache and goggles looks down at the Aflac Duck in the snow. — Ski Patrol · TV

03.3

5-Star Recruit

Aflac entered college football with Coach Nick Saban recruiting a new family to Aflac.

Coach Nick Saban sits in a family’s living room with the Aflac Duck on a recruiting visit. — 5-Star Recruit: The Visit · TV

Aflac tweet: “Coach, who are you wearing?” “Aflac.” over a photo of Nick Saban in a bright blue jacket on a TV set. — Social

Aflac tweet with an illustration of Nick Saban and the Duck: “We can help cover expenses health insurance doesn’t.”

Aflac tweet replying to a fan who compared Saban’s championship rings in the commercial to Thanos: “Well, recruiting folks to the Aflac program is our Endgame.”

Print ad of Nick Saban and the Duck with the headline “Goat meets Duck.” — Print

04Results

Consumer knowledge up 9%.

Purchase intent up 6%.

Brand connection up 7%.

Instagram following grew 35%, with the brand’s highest engagement to date.

Awareness remained at record highs.

05My role

Role: Associate Creative Director, then Creative Director. Trained and mentored four creative teams and five designers. Set up an in-house social production studio.
Agency: Publicis
Work: Broadcast and online video
Social
Experiential
Print
Radio