Aflac Debuts Edwards/Aflac Duck Commercial During NASCAR Kobalt Tools 500 Race |
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Written by U.S. Insurance News
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Sunday, 16 March 2008 |
Feathers were flying all over the Atlanta Motor Speedway on March 9.
Well, at least on viewers' TV screens.
During the NASCAR Sprint Cup Kobalt Tools 500 race at the Atlanta Motor Speedway, Aflac aired its latest Aflac Duck television commercial featuring NASCAR driver Carl Edwards in a spot called "Feathers."
The 30-second spot opened with Edwards talking on the radio with his crew chief, Bob Osborne, who says that the other racers think Edwards has an advantage because of his Aflac sponsorship. Edwards says, "Well, if you're ever sick and can't work, Aflac pays cash fast to help keep you in the race, right?"
Viewers then see that Aflac Duck is driving the car. The car speeds around the racetrack so quickly that the fowl's feathers stream out of both sides of the car and fly into the faces of the other drivers, causing them to run off the track.
Paul Amos II, president and chief operating officer of Aflac U.S., said of the commercial: "We're educating consumers on how Aflac is essential because we pay cash benefits to policyholders quickly to help them pay their bills."
Unfortunately, the commercial attention didn't help Edwards in the race. Engine troubles forced him to leave the race after 274 laps. Edwards, who has won two Sprint Cup races this season, finished 42nd out of 43 drivers.
Aflac is the primary sponsor of Edwards and the No. 99 Ford Fusion for eight NASCAR races and the associate sponsor for the other 28 races. Aflac is also the official supplemental insurance partner of NASCAR.
The "Feathers" commercial is the first time Aflac has incorporated its sponsorship of NASCAR, which began last year, into its popular Aflac Duck campaign. The spot illustrates how quickly Aflac pays claims.
"Feathers' is the 34th installment in the Aflac commercial series produced by The Kaplan Thaler Group. The spot, racing wallpaper, and a ring tone are available on the redesigned Aflac Racing Web site.
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