The Aflac Duck offers Nick Saban and Deion "Coach Prime" Sanders NIL deals, but not how you'd expect

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Aug 29, 2024, 08:33 ET

The iconic coaches return for the insurer's annual college football campaign

COLUMBUS, Ga., Aug. 29, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- The 2024-2025 college football season is kicking off with a new NIL deal featuring some of the sport's biggest names — "Name, Injury, Likeness," that is. Aflac, the leading provider of supplemental health insurance in the U.S.,¹ announced today that the Aflac Duck will once again team up with Nick Saban and Deion "Coach Prime" Sanders for its annual college football ad campaign. Returning for their fourth straight season together, the two coaches will continue to raise awareness of how Aflac helps hardworking Americans with expenses health insurance doesn't cover.

Coach Saban, the Aflac Duck and Coach Prime remind fans how Aflac can help with expenses health insurance doesn’t cover in two new commercials.

In their first appearance, Coach Saban, Coach Prime and the Aflac Duck head back to campus in the ad "Name, Injury, Likeness." The twist on NIL sees the Aflac Duck signing Coach Saban and Coach Prime to NIL deals and has them thinking big to teach fans about how Aflac can help close the gap where health insurance ends and medical bills begin. In the commercial, both NIL agreements are brought to life as Coach Prime's deal puts him on a flashy "Aflac gets you paid" billboard, while Coach Saban's deal soars overhead with the "Big time coverage" blimp. The trio will also hit the lake in the second commercial, "Gone Fishing," as the three continue to educate consumers about the impact of medical debt.

"There's no better duo than Coach Saban and Coach Prime — two of the most renowned names in college football — to demonstrate how Aflac helps close the financial gap where health insurance ends and medical bills pile up," said Aflac Senior Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer Garth Knutson. "We secured NIL deals with them to lead this campaign, reminding fans that Aflac provides big-time coverage and helps our policyholders get paid. We're grateful for their continued partnership, not just in our commercials, but in explaining how Aflac helps protect financial well-being."

Aflac's annual college football campaign remains a cornerstone of the brand's sports marketing portfolio. In addition to premiering the new commercials with Coach Saban and Coach Prime, Aflac is also gearing up for the second Aflac Kickoff Game featuring No. 14 Clemson and No. 1 Georgia on Aug. 31 in Atlanta.

"Entering the sixth year of the college football campaign with Aflac is a commitment I take seriously. The Aflac Duck has my back, even in retirement," said Coach Saban. "I'm proud to join forces again with Aflac and Coach Prime as we work together to continue educating Americans on how Aflac can help with health expenses health insurance doesn't cover."

As part of Coach Prime's return to Aflac's annual college football campaign, the brand is deepening its partnership with the University of Colorado. Earlier this month, the brand was named "The Official Coaches Headset Partner" of the Buffaloes. Each week during the 2024-2025 season, football fans will see Coach Prime and his coaching staff wear first-of-its-kind custom headsets. Eight unique headsets will be worn throughout the season, designed to coordinate with the team's helmets and prominently featuring the Aflac logo. Each headset was meticulously created to match the Buffaloes' on-field uniform combination every week so Coach Prime's game looks will be in sync with his players.

The ads will run on Aug. 31 across linear, digital and social platforms. "Name, Injury, Likeness" will debut on ESPN GameDay, and "Gone Fishing" will premiere during the Aflac Kickoff Game on ABC. Fans can learn more about Aflac, its brand ambassadors and how the organization is expanding its sports marketing footprint at http://www.Aflac.com/collegefootball.

ABOUT AFLAC INCORPORATED
Aflac Incorporated (NYSE: AFL), a Fortune 500 company, has helped provide financial protection and peace of mind for more than 68 years to millions of policyholders and customers through its subsidiaries in the U.S. and Japan. In the U.S., Aflac is the No. 1 provider of supplemental health insurance products.1 In Japan, Aflac Life Insurance Japan is the leading provider of cancer and medical insurance in terms of policies in force. The company takes pride in being there for its policyholders when they need us most, as well as being included in the World's Most Ethical Companies by Ethisphere for 18 consecutive years (2024), Fortune's World's Most Admired Companies for 23 years (2024) and Bloomberg's Gender-Equality Index for the fourth consecutive year (2023). In addition, the company became a signatory of the Principles for Responsible Investment (PRI) in 2021 and has been included in the Dow Jones Sustainability North America Index (2023) for 10 years. To find out how to get help with expenses health insurance doesn't cover, get to know us at aflac.com or aflac.com/espanol. Investors may learn more about Aflac Incorporated and its commitment to corporate social responsibility and sustainability at investors.aflac.com under "Sustainability."

¹ LIMRA 2023 U.S. Supplemental Health Insurance Total Market Report

Media contact: Amy Persons, [email protected]
Analyst and investor contact: David A. Young, 706-596-3264, 800-235-2667 or [email protected]

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SOURCE Aflac