Comeback Trail Leads Aflac Duck to NYC for Advertising Week

COLUMBUS, Ga., Sept. 23, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- The Aflac Duck is back!  Aflac, the number one provider of supplemental insurance in the United States announced that the Aflac Duck (class of 2004), returned to New York City today to take part in festivities celebrating the 10^th Anniversary of Advertising Week and their "Parade of Great Icons" honoring the newest inductees to the Advertising Walk of Fame. The Aflac Duck will join several other advertising icons an event that will begin at Times Square at 9:00 AM and culminate on Madison Avenue near Times Square.

The integrated campaign culminates with the Duck returning to work with both his quack and his finances fully intact, just in time for Advertising Week. To help celebrate the Duck's triumphant return, he will be joined by iconic members of the band 'N SYNC Joey Fatone and Lance Bass, who, like the Aflac Duck, know a little bit about what life is like in the spotlight with adoring fans.

Following his recent advertising campaign "Out of Work Duck," in which the he was sidelined with an injury and unable to work, the Aflac Duck recently belted out his famous cry of "Aflaaaac" in his latest television commercial called Comeback, which debut last week and Pep Talk, which debut on Saturday during a nationally televised college football game. 

"After significant rehabilitation, lost time at work, and having received more than 55,000 electronic get well cards from fans across the country, his quack is back; he's primed and raring to go," said Aflac Executive Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer Michael Zuna.  "Over the past few months the Duck has been pulling his feathers out sitting on the sidelines. We are excited to celebrate his return during Advertising Week and that he'll get some voice tips from Joey and Lance on how to sing the praises about how Aflac policies help pay the bills when an unexpected accident or illness occurs."

In conjunction with the Aflac Duck's comeback, the company has created a fun and informative site at Aflac.com, where consumers can share their own comeback stories via video uploads or in text.  Whether it's a healthcare triumph, an issue at work or other success stories, Aflac wants to share accounts of everyday Americans who have overcome challenges on their way to a personal comeback. Visitors can post and view inspiring stories about people who have triumphed over adversity.  Aflac will also engage consumers through the Aflac Duck Facebook page and twitter feed, along with banner ads.

In January, Aflac embarked on a "tongue in beak" storyline in which the Aflac Duck was injured and lost his ability to quack, rendering him unable to work. Thanks to his Aflac policies he, like many Aflac policyholders, was able to focus on his recovery rather than his finances. The Duck is now ready to take on new challenges as he continues his mission to spread the word about "Aflaaac."  

Aflac is once again a proud official partner of the Heisman Trophy and the newest sponsor of everyday comebacks. The company and the Aflac Duck will continue their strong presence during network broadcasts throughout the college football season, beginning with Saturday night's SEC game on ABC.

Aflac herein means American Family Life Assurance Company of Columbus and American Family Life Assurance Company of New York.

About Aflac

When a policyholder gets sick or hurt, Aflac pays cash benefits fast. For nearly six decades, 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 life insurance company in terms of individual policies in force. Aflac individual and group insurance products provide protection to more than 50 million people worldwide. For seven consecutive years, Aflac has been recognized by Ethisphere magazine as one of the World's Most Ethical Companies. In 2013, FORTUNE magazine recognized Aflac as one of the 100 Best Companies to Work For in America for the 15th consecutive year. Also, in 2013, FORTUNE magazine included Aflac on its list of Most Admired Companies for the 12th time, ranking the company number one in the life and health insurance category. 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 or espanol.aflac.com.

Aflac herein means American Family Life Assurance Company of Columbus and American Family Life Assurance Company of New York.

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SOURCE Aflac