Alley-oop! Aflac announces two new starters to its roster of G.O.A.T.s ahead of the 2023 NCAA® Basketball Championships: Coaching legends Dawn Staley and Mike Krzyzewski

In time for NCAA^® March Madness^®, Aflac extends "Aflac Duck vs. Gap Goat" campaign with two new spots featuring legendary college basketball coaches; introduces "Dawn's List," a set of actions focused on closing gaps in women's basketball

COLUMBUS, Ga., March 3, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Aflac Incorporated, a leading provider of supplemental health insurance in the U.S., is adding coaching legends Dawn Staley, Hall of Fame player, current NCAA^® Women's Basketball Champion and University of South Carolina women's head basketball coach, and Mike Krzyzewski, multiple NCAA^® championship-winning former Duke University men's head basketball coach, to their roster of G.O.A.T.s for Aflac's 2023 March Madness^® campaign. The coaches will play translators for the beloved Aflac Duck and its nemesis, Gap Goat, as the two icons remind fans that Aflac helps with expenses health insurance doesn't cover.

Building upon the brand's college football spots starring fellow G.O.A.T.s, Deion "Coach Prime" Sanders and Coach Nick Saban, "The Aflac Duck vs. Gap Goat" March Madness^® campaign continues to show fans how Aflac can help hardworking Americans cover unexpected medical bills. From birdwatching to lounging by the pool, Coach Staley and Coach K find themselves translating for the Gap Goat who bellows "gaaaaappp" as he arrives unexpectedly with a medical bill. The campaign will be seen by college basketball fans across television, social media and digital channels.

"Medical debt is a real issue that impacts too many Americans, which is why I'm teaming up with Aflac and Coach Staley on this new campaign to help educate fans on the importance of being better prepared for unexpected situations," said Krzyzewski. "Standing alongside Coach Staley in Aflac's March Madness^® campaign, we're bringing awareness of the health care gap to a highly engaged and enthusiastic audience."

In addition to the campaign television spots, fans on the ground at the Women's Final Four in Dallas, Texas, will have the opportunity to engage with the campaign through an on-site activation at Tourney Town. The experience, "Help beat the Gap," opens up to fans March 30 through April 2 at the Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention Center. Participants can compete in an obstacle course that includes dribbling, passing and shooting through life's obstacles. The unique experience brings to life the obstacles many Americans face when recovering from an unexpected medical incident and reinforces how Aflac can help close gaps traditional health insurance doesn't cover. 

"At Aflac, we work with amazing people who set the standards in their respective careers, because Aflac itself is a leader in our industry as well. These two coaches share our values and purpose, so adding Coach Staley and Coach K to our lineup of G.O.A.T.s will help elevate awareness around how we're helping close the gap for our customers and community," said Aflac Chief Marketing Officer Garth Knutson. "Our work with Coach Staley builds upon the commitment we made in December to redistribute and increase funding to showcase the amazing talent at the women's tournament. Our goal is to help close that gap for women athletes and to drive impact for players and fans."

Dawn's List

As part of its new campaign, Aflac has launched "Dawn's List," a list that aims to address some of the equity issues in women's college basketball. Dawn's List was created by Aflac, in collaboration with the Women's Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA) and Coach Staley.

Dawn's List addresses:

• Investment equity: There needs to be continued improvements involving the recognition of players and coaches in the women's tournament. As an NCAA^® Corporate Partner, Aflac plans to bring more awareness around outstanding coaching and player achievements.
• Fan experience: College basketball fans deserve a thrilling and vibrant tournament atmosphere. Aflac is working to enhance the fan experience in women's basketball.
• Community engagement: Aflac, Coach Staley and the WBCA are passionate about helping young women become role models and pillars in their communities. As such, they are working together to provide more opportunities to enable community engagement.

"The gaps identified for 'Dawn's List' represent real issues faced by female athletes on a daily basis that extend beyond the basketball court," said Coach Staley. "I'm proud to team up with Aflac, a company with a long-standing history of advocating for those who encounter health care inequities, as we work together to help close these gaps for female athletes."

Based on the categories identified through Dawn's List, Aflac is committing to a set of actions to help further close gaps. To address investment equity, Aflac will help raise awareness for the next generation of assistant coaches through sponsorship of the WBCA and the Assistant Coaches of the Year award in all six of the association's membership divisions. While these awards and honors for women's assistant coaches exist, there is often little fanfare for the achievements of these up-and-coming leaders. The awards will be presented during the opening session of the 2023 WBCA Convention which will be held in conjunction with the NCAA^® Women's Final Four in Dallas. This is in addition to Aflac's previously announced commitment to reallocate on-site activation and advertising budget to specifically focus on the women's tournament, including introducing a one-of-a-kind, on-site fan experience as part of Tourney Town at the Women's Final Four in Dallas. Finally, to address community engagement, Aflac, alongside Coach Staley, will deliver My Special Aflac Ducks^® to a children's hospital to help provide support to pediatric cancer and sickle cell patients.

In addition to Dawn's List off the court, Aflac is helping fans close gaps by renewing its Community CareGrants and Individual CareGrants programs, in which the company will give away $1 million in 2023 in funding that can help close the medical debt gap for vulnerable communities and individuals. 

ABOUT AFLAC INCORPORATED

Aflac Incorporated (NYSE: AFL) is a Fortune 500 company helping provide protection to more than 50 million people through its subsidiaries in Japan and the U.S., paying cash fast when policyholders get sick or injured. For over 67 years, the insurance policies of Aflac Incorporated's subsidiaries have given policyholders the opportunity to focus on recovery, not financial stress. In the U.S., Aflac is the number one provider of supplemental health insurance products.¹ Aflac Life Insurance Japan is the leading provider of cancer and medical insurance policies in force in Japan, where it insures 1 in 4 households. In 2021, the company became a signatory of the Principles for Responsible Investment (PRI). In 2022, the company was included in the Dow Jones Sustainability North America Index, as one of the World's Most Ethical Companies by Ethisphere for the 16th consecutive year, on Fortune's World's Most Admired Companies for the 22nd time and in Bloomberg's Gender-Equality Index for the fourth consecutive year. To find out how to get help with expenses health insurance doesn't cover, get to know us at aflac.com or aflac.com/espanol. Investors may learn more about Aflac Incorporated and its commitment to ESG and social responsibility at investors.aflac.com under "Sustainability."

Media contact: Amy Persons, [email protected]

Analyst and investor contact: David A. Young, 706-596-3264, 800-235-2667 or [email protected]

¹ LIMRA 2021 US Supplemental Health Insurance Total Market Report

THE AFLAC CAREGRANTS CONTEST: NO PURCHASE OR PAYMENT NECESSARY TO ENTER OR WIN. A PURCHASE WILL NOT INCREASE CHANCES OF WINNING. Open to legal residents of the 50 U.S./D.C., age 18+ (19+ in AL and NE, 21+ in MS), who as of the date listed in the applicable Appendix, are not insured under any policy issued or administered by Aflac, Inc. or its subsidiaries or affiliates (collectively "Aflac"), and who incurred a medical debt before the date listed in the applicable Appendix. Void where prohibited. Each Contest starts at the time and date listed in the applicable Appendix and ends at the time and date listed in the applicable Appendix (the "Contest Period"). Total ARV of all prizes: $200,000. Subject to full Official CareGrant Individual Contest Rules available here. Sponsor: American Family Life Assurance Company of Columbus (Aflac), 1932 Wynnton Rd., Columbus, GA 31999.

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SOURCE Aflac