The long-awaited partnership brings Ben Affleck and the Aflac Duck together on screen for the first time in a series of advertisement spots directed by Affleck.
COLUMBUS, Ga., Sept. 5, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Two famous names have long been blurred together in pop culture: Aflac and Affleck. Today, the coincidence gets an official title card as Aflac, the leading provider of supplemental health insurance in the U.S.1 and Artists Equity, the artist-led studio founded by Ben Affleck, Matt Damon and Gerry Cardinale, officially unveil a new partnership to bring The Man and The Duck to the screen together for the first time.
First teased last week through graffiti-tagged billboards across Los Angeles that Affleck marked up himself, the new 360-brand campaign features Affleck and the Aflac Duck in a series of commercials that combine entertainment and education to help Affleck and consumers understand what the Aflac name stands for: Providing added financial protection for expenses health insurance doesn't cover.
"Few brands have the recognition, trust and cultural relevance to create a partnership like this," said Aflac President Virgil Miller. "That's the power of the Aflac brand. Bringing together Aflac, Ben Affleck and Artists Equity creates an opportunity to reach consumers in a memorable way while reinforcing who we are as a company and the value we provide every day. It's a bold collaboration that elevates the strength, relevance and momentum of our brand."
The first spot, "Green Room," opens in a backstage green room before a shoot where the Aflac Duck and Aflac's longtime partners, coaches Nick Saban, Deion "Coach Prime" Sanders and Dawn Staley, give Affleck an impromptu crash course on what Aflac actually does and how supplemental coverage helps Americans when they need it most.
"Americans have been making the connection between Aflac and Affleck for years. Some ideas require a leap of imagination. This one was sitting right in front of us," said Aflac Senior Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer Garth Knutson. "We think consumers are going to love it, but more importantly, we hope it inspires millions of Americans to take a fresh look at Aflac and the ways we can help with expenses health insurance doesn't cover."
Driven by consumers playfully linking the Aflac and Affleck names for years, Aflac and Artists Equity decided it was time to lean into it. The outcome is a new campaign that turns the name confusion into an entertaining way to spotlight a serious topic: The financial challenges that accompany a health event and how Aflac can help provide supplemental financial protection.
"What started as a coincidental word play ended up being a true connection between an iconic brand and an iconic man. Up until this point, Affleck and Aflac have just been two ships passing in the cultural night," said Brandon Pierce, Co-President of Advertising at Artists Equity. "We saw this as a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to bring the low-hanging fruit to life by creating an authentic campaign that's just downright entertaining, and will feel to audiences like, 'Wait, how has this never existed before?' when it hits the airwaves."
"Green Room" will air during College GameDay ahead of the Aflac Kickoff Game, taking place this Saturday, September 5. Produced and created by Artists Equity and directed by Affleck and Co-President of Advertising at Artists Equity Brandon Pierce, "Green Room" marks the beginning of a long-term creative partnership between Artists Equity and Aflac. Through a series of campaign commercials and supporting content rolling out across linear, digital and social platforms into next year, the organizations will work together to bring greater attention to the importance of supplemental insurance for Americans nationwide.
Built on a shared desire to connect with consumers in a meaningful way, Affleck and Artists Equity immersed themselves in Aflac's business, positioning Affleck as a strategic partner in the brand's marketing rather than just a recognizable face. Together, Artists Equity and Aflac have reimagined the brand's iconic campaigns for a new era, reinforcing Aflac's position as the leading provider of supplemental insurance in the U.S.
"Audiences have long decided that most advertising is built to be skipped, so we make advertising the way a studio makes a film: Attention has to be earned, which means we need to entertain," said Josh Jefferis, Co-President of Advertising at Artists Equity. "Aflac already has one of the most recognizable brand icons ever created. Our job was to build a story worthy of the Aflac Duck, one with a costar who could keep up with the iconic quack. The Aflac team has been incredible to work with, and this is just the beginning."
Watch the new commercial here and see the extended story here.
ABOUT AFLAC INCORPORATED
Aflac Incorporated (NYSE: AFL), a Fortune 500 company, has helped provide financial protection and peace of mind for more than seven decades to millions of policyholders and customers through its subsidiaries in the U.S. and Japan. In the U.S., Aflac is the No. 1 provider of supplemental health insurance products.1 In Japan, Aflac Life Insurance Japan is the leading provider of cancer and medical insurance in terms of policies in force.2 The company takes pride in being there for its policyholders when they need us most, as well as being included in the World's Most Ethical Companies by Ethisphere for 20 consecutive years (2026) and Fortune's World's Most Admired Companies for 25 years (2026). In addition, the company became a signatory of the Principles for Responsible Investment (PRI) in 2021. To find out how to get help with expenses health insurance doesn't cover, get to know us at aflac.com or aflac.com/español. Investors may learn more about Aflac Incorporated and its commitment to corporate social responsibility and sustainability at investors.aflac.com under "Sustainability."
1 LIMRA 2025 U.S. Supplemental Health Insurance Total Market Report
2 As of March 31, 2025, Aflac estimates based on company data
Media contact: Adrienne Bentley, [email protected]
Analyst and investor contact: David A. Young, 706-596-3264, 800-235-2667 or [email protected]
ABOUT ARTISTS EQUITY
Artists Equity is an independent, artist-led studio reimagining the relationship between talent, studio, brands, and distributors. Across Scripted, Unscripted, and Brand Studio divisions, the company prioritizes talent through an innovative model that allows all parties to realize the value they bring to a project. It was co-founded in November 2022 by Ben Affleck, Matt Damon, and Gerry Cardinale of RedBird Capital. Artists Equity's latest scripted film is the Netflix global chart-topper The Rip, starring Affleck, Damon, Steven Yeun, and Teyana Taylor. Other titles include The Accountant 2, The Instigators, Unstoppable, and Air, as well as the upcoming Animals, directed by Affleck, who stars alongside Kerry Washington, Gillian Anderson, and Steven Yeun. Artists Equity's documentaries include the acclaimed Kiss the Future, Believers: Boston Red Sox, The Merchants of Joy, and The Python Hunt. Its Brand Studio division has produced four consecutive Super Bowl campaigns for Dunkin', and one for Stella Artois. Artists Equity has multi-year film deals with Sony Pictures for theatrical and Netflix for streaming.
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SOURCE Aflac
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