Commentary

Do You Know Quack?

by Gavin O'Malley , Staff Writer, September 27, 2010

Polled on the street, how many people knew what business Aflac was in? Can you believe just 4 in 100?! And that's after 10 fun-filled years of duck-quacking ads -- or what Jeff Charney, SVP and CMO of Aflac U.S., considers one of the industry's first "disruptive" ad campaigns. Faced with this common marketing conundrum, the insurance company more recently hatched a “You don’t know quack” mutli-channel campaign to educate consumers -- as in, "If all you know about Aflac is (duck shouting "Aflac!"), than you don't know quack." Aflac also asked consumers to explain "what the hell the company is" in ten seconds or less, says Charney. On its new Web, the company now features nearly 40 animations to educate as well as entertain consumers.

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Rick Lavoie, September 28, 2010 at 8:07 a.m.
The duck was somewhat disruptive and became notable. The execution was relatively memorable but unlike so many of its advertising character predecessors whom usually had a connection to the brand or its attributes, the Aflac duck was always a disconnect. So it has done little to drive home brand awareness or benefits. Now they have equity in a not so convincing and successful icon and they have to continually drag it out thinking it is going to work for them. It won’t. The duck needs to get shot, laid up and uses Aflac to pay his medical bills. That may be the only way they can finally drive home the message and brand attributes.
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