• by Tanya Gazdik , February 8, 2011

The image of the iconic Aflac Duck recently was recently freshened by brand designer Robert Louey Design/Pagenova.

A year in the making, according to the Santa Monica, Calif.-based design firm, the "gentle makeover" of the beloved duck includes new color palettes, collateral materials and graphic environments.

"We worked very carefully to maintain the duck's legendary equity," says Robert Louey. "Each aspect of the new design was carefully orchestrated around the main image of the beloved duck."

A photo shoot captured the Aflac duck in profile, poised, in flight and aflutter to enrich the design possibilities. A wide array of graphic environments -- some with famous quotations, others with simple memorable commands ("That Way") -- was created.

Other elements include a new Aflac stationery system, a refreshed assortment of brochures, business-to-business outreach materials and internal branding messaging that makes further use of the color palettes and graphic environments devised by the design firm.

Louey also designed the visual components for Aflac's annual end-of-year FOCUS conference, where top salespeople are recognized and regaled. The Nashville event utilized the rebranding designs and banners and as well as short films displayed on a 360-degree screen to introduce the company's new goals for 2011.

Columbia, Ga.-based Aflac starting using the quacking spokesbird 10 years ago. In 2005, the company logo was changed to incorporate the duck, who frustratedly quacks the company's name to unsuspecting prospective policyholders in TV commercials, created by New York-based Kaplan Thaler Group. The duck is voiced by Gilbert Gottfried.

As of 4 p.m. on Feb. 8, the duck had 228,502 fans on Facebook and 8,080 followers on Twitter.

Robert Louey Design and Karen Dacus/Pagenova collaborate with Regina Rubino / IMAGE: Global Vision. Besides Aflac, their client list includes Hyatt Hotels & Resorts and The Beverly Hills Hotel.