Gaaaap! Latest rivalry in college football pits Aflac Duck against new nemesis, Gap Goat, representing the gap between what health insurance covers and what Americans are able to pay

PR Newswire

COLUMBUS, Ga., Aug. 24, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Aflac, a leading provider of supplemental health insurance in the U.S.¹, is kicking off its marketing campaign for the 2022-2023 college football season to shine a light on the gap between health insurance and medical bills. This season, Aflac is introducing a new character, Gap Goat, who serves as a nemesis to America's favorite spokesduck in a series of humorous commercials airing throughout the season.

The Aflac Duck represents a solution to help American consumers who are concerned about their health care and finances.

Deion "Coach Prime" Sanders and Coach Nick Saban return as part of the Aflac Duck vs. Gap Goat campaign, which also features a new original and recurring character starring opposite the Aflac Duck. Throughout the campaign, the Gap Goat serves as an antagonist who shows up with unexpected medical bills for hardworking Americans at inopportune times, all the while bleating out the catch phrase, "GAAAAP!" The goat represents the gap that can be left when health insurance doesn't cover all of one's medical expenses.

"While the Aflac Duck remains a household name, the Gap Goat presents new marketing opportunities to build a story that leverages both humor and purpose to help educate fans on the gaps for those facing medical debt," said Aflac U.S. President Teresa White.

The Aflac Duck, who opposes the Gap Goat in these spots, represents a solution to help American consumers who are concerned about their health care and finances — Aflac — by showing them how to help close the gap between what health insurance covers and what is left behind. Coach Prime and Coach Saban serve as translators for the Aflac Duck and Gap Goat.

"Last year, I had an unexpected medical event, and while I am fortunate enough to have the means to pay the onslaught of medical bills, many are not afforded the same peace of mind and are often tackled by the cost of care," said Coach Prime. "That makes being a part of this year's campaign especially meaningful for me as I continue to work with Aflac to ensure that fans are better prepared to help close the gap between where insurance ends and medical debt starts."

"For the last three years, I've had the opportunity to work with Aflac and advocate for those facing medical debt," said Coach Saban. "In football, we run into unexpected situations in games each week, but only through preparation are we able to overcome the challenges. It's the same thing in life, which is why I work with Aflac to help fans better prepare for unexpected health expenses they may encounter."

The Aflac Duck vs. Gap Goat campaign will run across television, digital, social and audio platforms. The first spot, "The Arrival," makes its debut Aug. 27 on ESPN during the opening weekend of the college football season. The second spot, "Stadium Worker," will land Oct. 15 and the third spot, "Treadmill Race," will air Oct. 29.

Aflac will be extending the campaign across different marketing efforts through social media, digital and on-site experiential activations at high-profile games, including HBCU mainstays like the Celebration Bowl. Fans can also get to know Aflac at Aflac.com.

ABOUT AFLAC INCORPORATED
Aflac Incorporated (NYSE: AFL) is a Fortune 500 company helping provide protection to more than 50 million people through its subsidiaries in Japan and the U.S., paying cash fast when policyholders get sick or injured. For more than six decades, insurance policies of Aflac Incorporated's subsidiaries have given policyholders the opportunity to focus on recovery, not financial stress. In the U.S., Aflac is the number one provider of supplemental health insurance products.¹ Aflac Life Insurance Japan is the leading provider of medical and cancer insurance in Japan, where it insures 1 in 4 households. In 2021, Aflac Incorporated was proud to be included as one of the World's Most Ethical Companies by Ethisphere for the 16th consecutive year. Also in 2021, the company was included in the Dow Jones Sustainability North America Index and became a signatory of the Principles for Responsible Investment (PRI). In 2022, Aflac Incorporated was included on Fortune's list of World's Most Admired Companies for the 21st time and Bloomberg's Gender-Equality Index for the third consecutive year. To find out how to get help with expenses health insurance doesn't cover, get to know us at aflac.com or aflac.com/español. Investors may learn more about Aflac Incorporated and its commitment to ESG and social responsibility at investors.aflac.com under "Sustainability."

¹LIMRA 2021 US Supplemental Health Insurance Total Market Report