Aflac and Tough Mudder Inc. Announce North American Partnership for 2017

PR Newswire

COLUMBUS, Ga., April 18, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Aflac, the leader in voluntary insurance sales at the worksite in the United States, announced today it will partner with Tough Mudder Inc., the leading active lifestyle brand and media company, as the "Official Supplemental Insurance Provider" for Tough Mudder's 2017 events season. The partnership includes the introduction of the Aflac Small Business Challenge designed for teams participating in Tough Mudder events on behalf of small businesses.

Tough Mudder hosts a series of endurance events and obstacle course challenges all over the world. Tough Mudder events promote teamwork, physical activity, and fun, and the partnership with Aflac underscores the brand's commitment to promoting corporate team building.

"Aflac recognizes that young adults are seeking creative ways to live active, healthy lifestyles, and the Tough Mudder experience creates that opportunity for its competitors almost every weekend of the year," said Gail Galuppo, senior vice president and chief marketing officer at Aflac. "For young employees working at a small business, camaraderie among the team is crucial. Participating in an event like Tough Mudder together can help improve communication and collaboration while creating a workplace culture that supports healthy and fit lifestyles – all attributes that help small businesses succeed."

"Tough Mudder is thrilled to welcome Aflac to our family of sponsors in 2017 to reach the Tough Mudder community as well as the tens of thousands of small-business employees and corporate teams who take part in our events each year," said Donna Goldsmith, Tough Mudder Inc. senior vice president of Partnership Marketing, International Event Licensing, Corporate Sales and Merchandising. "We are excited to launch the Aflac Small Business Challenge to promote our dual commitment to camaraderie and team building and to support Aflac's dedication to helping employees of small businesses thrive."

Aflac Small Business Challenge
Aflac is encouraging businesses to take team building to the next level by having employees participate in Tough Mudder events. To enter a team into the challenge, employees can enter on behalf of their company by simply sharing how teamwork has helped their small business succeed. A "Team of the Month" will be selected from the entries each month (April to October 2017), winning four complimentary entries into a Tough Mudder event to put their teamwork skills to the test. In the fall, one grand-prize winner will receive four complimentary entries and an all-expenses-paid trip for those four entry ticketholders to World's Toughest Mudder, the most extreme, 24-hour endurance race hosted by Tough Mudder, taking place at Lake Las Vegas Nov. 11-12.

Small businesses and their employees can find the official rules and enter for a chance to win the Aflac Small Business Challenge at www.toughmudder.com/aflac.

About Tough Mudder Inc.
Founded in 2010 with the launch of the Tough Mudder Full event series of 10- to 12-mile obstacle courses, Tough Mudder Inc. has since grown to become a leading active lifestyle company and leader in sports video content creation and distribution. The brand includes: Mini Mudder, a 1-mile obstacle course designed for kids ages 7-12; Tough Mudder 5K, an accessible yet rewarding challenge packing signature Tough Mudder obstacles into a 3.1-mile course; Tough Mudder Half, an obstacle course challenge bringing the thrills of Tough Mudder to a 5-mile course; Tough Mudder, a competitive start wave that takes place during all Tough Mudder Weekends; Toughest Mudder, an eight-hour, overnight competition series; and World's Toughest Mudder, a grueling 24-hour endurance competition. The brand also encompasses an extremely vibrant engaging social and digital community and serves as a destination for fitness, nutrition and wellness content delivered across multiple platforms. The Tough Mudder family of brands and online community is united by a commitment to promoting courage, personal accomplishment and teamwork through unconventional, life-changing experiences. With more than 2.5 million participants globally to date, Tough Mudder Inc. will host more than 130 events worldwide in 2017 in nearly a dozen countries, including Asia, Australia, and more through its partnerships with IMG, Seroja, and Sports Media and Entertainment 360 (SME360). More than 20 of the world's leading brands are sponsorship and content distribution partners, including Merrell, Jeep, the U.S. Army, Vega, Olympus, For Goodness Shakes, Aflac, Bosch, Snapchat, Live Stream, Sky Sports, ESPN Media Distribution, The CW and CBS Sports. To join the conversation, follow Tough Mudder on Twitter at @ToughMudder, on Instagram @Tough_Mudder, on Facebook at facebook.com/toughmudder, on Snapchat at Tough.Mudder and on YouTube at YouTube.com/ToughMudder.

About Aflac
When a policyholder gets sick or hurt, Aflac pays cash benefits fast. For six decades, Aflac insurance policies have given policyholders the opportunity to focus on recovery, not financial stress. In the United States, Aflac is the leader in voluntary insurance sales at the worksite. Through its trailblazing One Day Pay^SM initiative, Aflac U.S. can receive, process, approve and disburse payment for eligible claims in one business day. In Japan, Aflac is the leading provider of medical and cancer insurance and insures 1 in 4 households. Aflac insurance products help provide protection to more than 50 million people worldwide. For 11 consecutive years, Aflac has been recognized by Ethisphere as one of the World's Most Ethical Companies. In 2017, Fortune magazine recognized Aflac as one of the 100 Best Companies to Work For in America for the 19th consecutive year and in 2017 included Aflac on its list of Most Admired Companies for the 16th time. In 2015, Aflac's contact centers were recognized by J.D. Power by providing "An Outstanding Customer Service Experience" for the Live Phone Channel. Aflac Incorporated is a Fortune 500 company listed on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol AFL. To find out more about Aflac and One Day Pay^SM, visit aflac.com or espanol.aflac.com.

About the Aflac Small Business Challenge
NO PURCHASE NECESSARY TO ENTER OR WIN. A PURCHASE WILL NOT INCREASE YOUR CHANCES OF WINNING. Open to legal residents of the 50 U.S. states/D.C. 18 or older. Void where prohibited. Starts 4/18/17 at 12:00:01 p.m. ET and ends 10/1/17 at 11:59:59 p.m. ET. Multiple entry deadlines apply. See full rules for deadlines, prize details and full entry requirements at toughmudder.com/aflac. Sponsor: Tough Mudder Incorporated.