\n
![](\"https:\/\/fortune.com\/img-assets\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/GettyImages-1030511786-e1711473773928.jpg?w=2048\")
<\/p>\n [ad_1]
\n<\/p>\n
Animals have long been used as mascots for our favorite brands and sports teams. Why? Because animals transcend different cultures and languages\u2014and simply put, people just love them<\/a>. One of those most beloved and memorable (albeit sometimes annoying) animal mascots is the Aflac<\/a> duck, whose story stemmed from an unlikely place.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cOur advertising agency was in Central Park sitting on a bench. And they heard ducks and they noticed it sounded like Aflac,\u201d the insurance giant\u2019s CEO Dan Amos told Fortune<\/em> in a recent interview. \u201cAnd so the quack, quack, Aflac became the idea. And that\u2019s how we got in.\u201d<\/p>\n And with that, the Aflac duck campaign debuted in 2000 with the television commercial \u201cPark Bench<\/a>,\u201d according to company history<\/a>. New York City-based ad agency Kaplan Thaler Group pitched the idea that doubled the company\u2019s business in three years.\u00a0<\/p>\n Amos, at the time of the commercial launch, was actually reluctant to run with the idea because he thought it was making light of the company\u2019s name. This was also right around the time that other insurance giants like Geico had started running funny and lighthearted animal-related ads. The Geico gecko first made its appearance in 1997, according to its company history<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cWe took a big chance making fun of our name, because you\u2019re not just doing it, you\u2019re actually making fun of your name,\u201d Amos told Yahoo Finance<\/em><\/a> <\/em>in 2021. \u201cAnd yet, it forever changed our life.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n Indeed, Aflac shares were worth about $28 million ($11.78 per share at 2,388,800 shares), but today company shares are worth about $257 million at $85.04 per share\u2014making the Aflac duck a $200 million-plus success. Last year, the company had $18.7 billion in revenue.<\/p>\n The Park Bench commercial popularized Aflac\u2019s brand and led to a pop-culture moment obsessed with the obnoxious yet loveable duck. In fact, between 2000 and 2014, Aflac\u2019s brand recognition soared from 11% to 94%, making it one of the most well-known companies in the world, according to Aflac history. Plus, the Park Bench commercial became so popular that a short animated film<\/a> from 2022 was named after it and followed a family dealing with sickle-cell disease. But the Aflac duck was there to help the family through the recovery.<\/p>\n While the Aflac duck was a cash cow for the business, he doesn\u2019t make any money himself, Amos told Fortune<\/em>.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cWell, he\u2019s king of the place, but he doesn\u2019t have a salary,\u201d Amos said. \u201cAnd that\u2019s about it.\u201d But if it\u2019s any consolation, the Aflac duck was inducted into the Advertising Walk of Fame in 2004 and the PR News Public Relations Hall of Fame in 2011, the same year he first appeared in the Macy\u2019s Thanksgiving Day Parade, according to Aflac company history<\/a>.<\/p>\n \u201cThe surveys showed us that he was wonderful,\u201d Amos said. \u201cAnd people enjoyed him, and he\u2019s continued to be [wonderful].\u201d<\/p>\n With such a big return to investors, it\u2019s no surprise that Amos\u2019 most admired Fortune 500 CEO is Warren Buffett.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cHe\u2019s the most tenured CEO and he\u2019s given fabulous returns to the shareholders,\u201d Amos said. Like Buffett, Amos has a long tenure at his company. He\u2019s been CEO of Aflac for 34 years. And at age 72, Amos is now the fifth-longest-serving CEO of any Fortune 500 company. Buffett, at 93 years old, has the longest tenure.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019ve seen a lot, and I think when you work with a good organization, you have to stay with them,\u201d Amos said. \u201cAnd Aflac has been a great place to work.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\nPark Bench success<\/h2>\n
Amos as a leader<\/h2>\n
Subscribe to CHRO Daily, our newsletter focusing on helping HR executive navigate the changing needs of the workplace. Sign up<\/a> for free.<\/div>\n