Vacation or Medical Bills? It's 'Dad's Choice' in Aflac Duck's New TV Commercial

Aflac Duck reminds viewers they might have less health insurance coverage than they think

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May 08, 2017, 09:43 ET

COLUMBUS, Ga., May 8, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Aflac, the leader in voluntary insurance sales at the worksite in the United States, today announced the launch of its new television commercial, "Dad's Choice," which features a family comically debating if they'd rather go on an unforgettable vacation or pay unexpected medical bills. The new ad will debut tomorrow during The Voice, which airs at 8 p.m. ET on NBC.

A recent survey of working moms found that even with health insurance, about half (49 percent) of respondents didn't have the money to cover their insurance deductible.¹ More than 54 percent of working moms surveyed said they have had to divert funds away from something else to pay for medical expenses. Which source of savings suffers the most? The family vacation fund.

"As summer approaches, families across the country are getting ready to pack their bags and hit the road to experience new adventures," Aflac Senior Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer Gail Galuppo said. "Unfortunately, many moms and dads don't realize that they may be forced to choose between making family memories and paying important medical bills if they aren't protected with help from supplemental insurance like Aflac's."

"Dad's Choice" opens with a son holding a baseball bat and a father cowered on one knee holding a wadded up T-shirt over his face covering an injury. The mom runs to the yard to find out what went wrong. The son responds, "Dad kind of … walked into my swing."

The mom immediately realizes, "Don't you mean Dad kind of ruined our Hawaii fund?" Amid groans of pain and his family squirming because of the injury, the father tries to communicate the severity of the situation, insisting, "I should go to the hospital." Yet, all the mother hears is, "There goes the airfare."

When given the choice between paying for Hawaii or his dad's face, the son wastes no time in raising his hand to cast a vote for Hawaii. The mom cheerfully reveals her vote, "Ha-wa-ii," high-fiving her son – and eventually her husband, who concedes that Hawaii is just too good to pass up.

"Health insurance may not cover everything related to unexpected injuries and illnesses," added Galuppo. "And when families are hit with unexpected medical costs, cash from Aflac can help make sure our customers maintain their lifestyle and don't have to make tough choices like whether they should go to Hawaii or take care of dad's face."

To learn how to keep your lifestyle healthy and to request a quote, visit aflac.com/lifestyle.

About Aflac
When a policyholder gets sick or hurt, Aflac pays cash benefits fast. For six decades, Aflac insurance policies have given policyholders the opportunity to focus on recovery, not financial stress. In the United States, Aflac is the leading provider of voluntary insurance at the worksite. Through its trailblazing One Day Pay^SM initiative, Aflac U.S. can receive, process, approve and disburse payment for eligible claims in one business day. In Japan, Aflac is the leading provider of medical and cancer insurance and insures 1 in 4 households. Aflac insurance products help provide protection to more than 50 million people worldwide. For 11 consecutive years, Aflac has been recognized by Ethisphere as one of the World's Most Ethical Companies. In 2017, Fortune magazine recognized Aflac as one of the 100 Best Companies to Work For in America for the 19th consecutive year and in 2017 included Aflac on its list of Most Admired Companies for the 16th time. In 2015, Aflac's contact centers were recognized by J.D. Power by providing "An Outstanding Customer Service Experience" for the Live Phone Channel. Aflac Incorporated is a Fortune 500 company listed on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol AFL. To find out more about Aflac and One Day Pay^SM, visit aflac.com or espanol.aflac.com.

Media contact – Kristen Fraser, 706.243.5543 or [email protected]

Analyst and investor contact – David A. Young, 706.596.3264 or 800.235.2667, FAX 706.324.6330, or [email protected]

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

¹ The Aflac + Working Mother Survey was conducted via online panel in the United States between Sept. 22-27, 2016, among 1,000 women age 18+ who work full time, have at least one child under age 18 living at home and have major medical/health insurance. Sample error for 1,000 respondents is approximately 3.1 percent at 95 percent confidence. Sample was balanced for household income and geography. A full methodology is available. The survey was conducted by AYTM Research on behalf of Aflac and Working Mother magazine.

SOURCE Aflac