You Don’t Know Quack: the Zimmerman Agency in Tallahassee, Florida Creates Bold, Daring Campaign for Aflac

The Zimmerman Agency* is ruffling some feathers - the Aflac Duck's feathers to be exact. Aflac broke ties with its long time Madison Avenue marketing partner in New York and tapped the Tallahassee firm to create and launch an ambitious new national campaign. The Zimmerman Agency (http://www.zimmerman.com/) is boldly challenging audiences outright through a campaign called, "You Don't Know Quack" with the goal to drive brand definition and education among Aflac consumers and businesses. Aflac is a Fortune 150 company serving more than 50 million people worldwide as the largest provider of supplemental insurance.

The Zimmerman Agency, based on a balance of disciplines - from advertising and digital solutions to public relations and social media - has been recently winning accounts for national brands, such as Steak 'n Shake, Nature's Own Bread and Cooper Tires to add to its impressive roster with The Ritz-Carlton Destination Club, Club Med, Tobacco Free Florida and Sanderson Farms Chicken.

"The campaign The Zimmerman Agency created is innovative, integrated and empowers the Duck in a new, contemporary and relevant way," stated Jeff Charney, Aflac chief marketing officer. "I issued a challenge to our agency partners to come up with the next big idea for Aflac, and The Zimmerman Agency created a huge, smart idea with You Don't Know Quack."

According to Curtis Zimmerman, co-founder, "Aflac and the Aflac Duck is one of the most recognized brands in the world of advertising, so winning this assignment is a feather in our cap. Not only do we have 160 brilliant people in our office here in Tallahassee, but we boast a level of energy as part of our dna which allows us to compete anywhere, against anyone."

The multi-channel campaign, You Don't Know Quack (www.youdontknowquack.com) utilizes the Aflac Duck to defiantly dare audiences to question if they know Quack, explaining what Aflac is by focusing on what Aflac is not. The Zimmerman Agency is unveiling media executions including three television spots, giant outdoor 'walls' in Times Square in New York and L.A.'s Sunset Boulevard, disruptive full page print ads in the Wall Street Journal, New York Times and USA Today, and online campaign microsites. The Zimmerman Agency work will be seen during NBC broadcasts of the Winter Olympics and other primetime programming.

"Aflac has done an amazing job building awareness - a 94 percent recognition level - thanks to the wild popularity of the Duck. But research shows knowledge about Aflac products is lacking," said Zimmerman. "You Don't Know Quack gives the Duck a 'voice' allowing him to work harder for Aflac. The Duck is turning 10 years old, and as with everyone that age, he wants to be better understood."

The Zimmerman Agency's audacious, yet playful You Don't Know Quack has been putting the Aflac Duck - widely recognized as one of the top brand icons - to work for months now, using his presence on social media to prepare consumers for this dynamic and in-your-face campaign. The Aflac Duck - who interacts on Facebook and Twitter as a "personality" rather than a brand - maintains a daily dialogue with consumers, exchanging witty banter and offering up snippets about his life as the Aflac-hired actor. This enterprising strategy has garnered the Duck a dedicated, growing entourage of more than 164,000 fans - a loyal audience who now has a personal relationship with him and will listen to the messages he delivers.

"You Don't Know Quack is a very aggressive and provocative statement," Zimmerman explained. "The social media strategy began months ago with the Duck initiating true conversations with consumers at a 'friend' level. You Don't Know Quack carries the honesty and tone which is easily accepted from a friend."

"Maybe Tallahassee is not destined to be the next Madison Avenue," added Carrie Zimmerman, The Zimmerman Agency, co-founder, "but talent, ambition and simple fearlessness know no limitations, especially geographic."

The Zimmerman Agency (http://www.zimmerman.com/) has total billings exceeding $165 million and employs more than 160 full-time professionals in Tallahassee. The Zimmerman Agency is an Omnicom Group Company and is part of the TBWA Network of Agencies. For more information contact Curtis Zimmerman at [email protected] .

* The Zimmerman Agency in Tallahassee, Florida is a different agency than Zimmerman Partners in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, but both are Omnicom owned firms.