An art director at the agency was walking around Central Park at lunchtime repeatedly uttering "Aflac", while trying to come up with an advertising campaign to increase Aflac's recognition. He then realised how much the company's name sounded like a duck's quack, and immediately came up with the concept of the duck.

Daniel McKeague, 36, a father of three from Hugo, Minn., beat out 12,500 other contestants to replace actor Gilbert Gottfried and become the new voice of the reinsurance company's duck mascot.

Question: Are the ducks in the AFLAC TV commercials real or mechanical? Answer: There's only one AFLAC duck, and he is real, said Laura Kane, spokeswoman for American Family Life Assurance Co. in Columbus. The duck, which quacks "AFLAC," began appearing in company advertisements in 1999.

The top two agencies were allowed to submit five ads each for testing. One of the agencies was the New York–based Kaplan Thaler Group, whose creative guys came up with the idea of the Aflac Duck because they'd been having a hard time remembering our name.

The Aflac Duck campaign debuted with the television commercial “Park Bench.” The Aflac Duck made his international debut in Japan where he has become one of their favorite advertising icons. The Aflac Duck was inducted into the Advertising Walk of Fame. Aflac changed its logo to include the Aflac Duck.

Aflacts is an advertising slogan created by Aflac and Kaplan Thaler and introduced in April 2009 to broaden awareness about the specific benefits of the insurance products the company offers. The campaign, "Get the Aflacts," came about as the company's Aflac Duck campaign had built widespread recognition for the brand.

January 1, 2000 On January 1, 2000, Americans got their first glimpse of a new, innovative marketing campaign for a little-known supplemental insurance company in Columbus, Georgia. When a little white duck with a lot of personality stormed upon the scene, Aflac made advertising history and became an international powerhouse.

approximately $200 Each duck costs Aflac approximately $200 to build and deliver. "It is an indescribable feeling to see the smile on children's faces when they receive My Special Aflac Duck," Sproutel CEO and Co-Founder Aaron Horowitz said.

The brand awareness that the ad created is a big reason for the company's success today, he said. “Within three years of the first ad, our sales in the US doubled and our name recognition went from under 10% to around 90%,” Amos said.

Aflac's supplemental insurance products pay cash benefits directly to the policyholder to help protect against income and asset loss when a specific health event or life situation presents financial challenges. In the U.S., Aflac is the No.

While it is possible to keep just one duck, it is strongly recommended that you have at least one other duck for company, while having three or four would be best. Don't get a pet duck, or any other unusual animal for that matter, just to be different.