What Kind of Duck Is the Aflac Duck?
The Aflac duck is a well-known mascot who has served as the marketing spearhead for the insurance company Aflac in the USA since 1999. But exactly what kind of duck is the Aflac duck?
The Aflac duck comes from the breed of ducks known as Peking ducks, covered with long white feathers all over and are usually large in size.
The historical origins of the Aflac duck are not only an interesting story but a lesson for companies that want to create a brand of a lifetime.
In this article, you get to learn the history of the Aflac duck, why it is so famous around the world, and exactly what type of duck is the Aflac duck.
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What Breed of Duck Is the Aflac?
The Aflac duck was born from the image of an American Pekin duck, which is one of the most common forms of duck that is domesticated for mass consumption.
The Pekin ducks have always been a blessing to the people on the land. This is because Pekin birds not only lay a large number of eggs, but they are also large in size, which makes them suitable for consumption purposes by humans.
In fact, about 90 percent of all duck meat in America comes from Pekin ducks.
Pekin ducks are easy to pet and breed, and hence humans farm Pekin ducks in vast quantities. Their beautiful white feathers and fast growth rate makes them optimal for farming.
The Aflac duck is a mascot that originated from the features of a Pekin duck.
How Did the Aflac Duck Become Famous?
The Aflac duck is not a specific breed of duck but just a campaign mascot. It originated from an advertisement by an insurance company in the USA.
History and Origin
A supplementary insurance company in Columbus, Georgia, USA, first created the Aflac duck as one of their marketing campaigns.
It was created by the Kaplan Thaler Group, an NYC-based advertising agency, to advance the insurance campaigns of the company.
The Aflac duck as a mascot was first voiced by the famous voice actor and comedian Gilbert Gottfried and later by Daniel McKeague in 2011.
The Advertisement That Made Aflac Famous
In December 1999, the ‘Park Bench’ commercial first introduced the Aflac Duck. The advertisement follows like this –
Two businessmen are shown in the advertisement eating lunch while seated on a park bench. A bicycle rider crashes off their motorbike and screams in the background. The men discuss supplemental insurance after the incident.
Aflac is the duck’s overheard quack. When a guy inquires about payment, the duck emerges from the lake and quacks ‘Aflac’ once more.
The duck receives some bread from him and returns it. The duck quacks in frustration, Aflac! one more time, as the man still doesn’t understand what his partner is talking about despite being instructed to inquire about Aflac at work.
Thus, every time there is a risk, there is a quack of Aflac, meaning that you have to use the insurance to be safer. This advertisement went viral, and the company named itself the American Family Life Assurance Company of Columbus (AFLAC).
The Growth of the Aflac Duck
The Aflac duck gained traction in the global arena of marketing very fast. In fact, in 2003, they were adopted by Aflac Japan, the Japanese franchise of the same insurance company, as their official mascot.
In 2005, the company AFLAC changed its logo to include a picture of the white Pekin duck or the Aflac duck.
Right after, in April 2009, Aflac started a campaign known as ‘Get the Aflacts’, in order to teach consumers about the likely benefits of taking the service of Aflac as an insurance provider.
This campaign, with the Aflac duck as the mascot, increased its prominence in the role of a mascot and gained massive traction amongst customers.
Who was learning about the policies of Aflac along with the various products and packages they offer.
Where Else Was the Aflac Duck Shown?
The Aflac duck appeared as a cameo or as a supporting character in many films, television programs, and advertisements.
The Aflac duck accompanied many famous celebrities during their programs, including Yogi Berra, Yao Ming, Chevy Chase, Carl Edwards, and Wayne Newton.
The Aflac duck was also featured beside many famous cartoon characters that we all grew up watching. These include Bugs Bunny, Wile E. Coyote, Road Runner, Daffy Duck, and Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer.
In fact, the Aflac duck was also there in a cameo in the movies Up and Toy Story 3, two of the most famous Pixar movies.
Global Recognition
The Aflac duck has achieved many accolades in its lifetime as a mascot.
Here are some of the most important achievements of the Aflac duck in the years that followed –
- In 2004, right after becoming the advertising mascot for Aflac Japan, the Aflac duck was included in the Advertising Walk of Fame.
- In 2011, the Aflac duck was named to the PR News Public Relations Hall of Fame and debuted in Macy’s Thanksgiving Parade.
- In 2013, The New Duck prints campaign from Aflac, which aimed to generate funds and awareness for pediatric cancer, used the Aflac Duck as its logo.
- In 2015, the Aflac duck, who was also 15 years old, assisted Aflac in commemorating its 60th year of business. To commemorate the achievements, The Duck showed up on the New York Stock Exchange floor.
- In 2018, in the likeness of the Aflac Duck, the award-winning plush social robot known as ‘My Special Aflac Duck’ was developed to support children dealing with cancer.
Final Words
The Aflac duck is simply the most common duck that can be found in America, but the way in which it was idealized in the campaigns and advertisements of the insurance company in Columbus truly accelerated the fame and popularity of the duck.
I hope you got your answer to what kind of duck is the Aflac duck. And why even after so many years since its origin, it is so famous.
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