Aflac Announces Winner of the 10-Second Challenge

COLUMBUS, Ga., May 12 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Aflac, the company that pays policyholders cash fast when they are hurt or sick will pay Matthew Hoelter, 24, of Marina Del Rey, California, $25,000 for his winning entry in Aflac's 10 Second Challenge. The month-long contest challenged consumers to describe the company and its products in 10 seconds.  The public was invited to view entries online and vote for the top 10 finalists.  Four winners were then chosen by a panel of judges selected by Aflac.

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Matthew Hoelter, a freelance editor and first-time video contest participant, used computer graphics and a voice over to describe Aflac products and services. He says he plans to save some of the $25,000 grand prize and give some to a charity to be determined. Hoelter was raised in a suburb of Toledo, Ohio and recently moved to California.

"We are very excited that our entry grabbed the top prize in the 10-Second Challenge," Hoelter said. "To play a role in helping a major company like Aflac define itself as the company that pays you cash fast when you are sick or hurt is a thrill. We had a great time participating in this contest."

Runners-up for the grand prize, Joel Witmer and Jerod Wanner, both from Chicago, and Jonathan Mann from Berkeley, California, will receive a $1,000 prize and an Aflac snowboard like the one seen in Aflac's latest television advertisement, "10 Seconds". The commercial, in which NASCAR star Carl Edwards is challenged to define Aflac in 10 seconds, is part of Aflac's "You Don't Know Quack" campaign launched in January. The ad served as the inspiration for the contest.

"The passion of the contestants who creatively used their own social networks, generating hundreds of thousands of page views and millions of impressions, combined with their knowledge of our products blew us away," said Aflac Senior Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer Jeff Charney. "It is clear that people are starting to get to know Aflac and are beginning to learn that we are more than a household name; we are a household need."

The 10-Second Challenge generated more than 180 video submissions resulting in nearly 250,000 video views on Facebook and aflac.com.  More than 69,000 votes were cast to determine the top 10 finalists.  With a wide array of strong entries, Aflac plans to contact some of the more innovative video producers to ask if they would be willing to create additional online material. To view the winning videos, please visit Aflac.com/10Seconds or Facebook.com/AflacDuck.

ABOUT AFLAC

When a policyholder gets sick or hurt, Aflac pays cash benefits fast. For 55 years, Aflac insurance policies have given policyholders the opportunity to focus on recovery, not financial stress. In the United States, Aflac is the number one provider of guaranteed-renewable insurance. In Japan, Aflac is the number one insurance company in terms of individual insurance policies in force. Aflac insurance products provide protection to more than 50 million people worldwide. Aflac has been recognized by Ethisphere magazine as one of the World's Most Ethical Companies for four consecutive years, and Forbes magazine named Aflac as America's Best-Managed Company in the Insurance category. In 2010, Fortune magazine recognized Aflac as one of the 100 Best Companies to Work For in America for the twelfth consecutive year and also included Aflac on its list of Most Admired Companies for the ninth time. Aflac Incorporated is a Fortune 500 company listed on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol AFL. To find out more about Aflac, visit aflac.com.

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SOURCE Aflac