Columbus, Ga.-based Aflac will unveil a May 2 television spot in which Donald Trump’s wife Melania provides the duck’s voice, and says more than the standard “Aflac!” line.
The Aflac Duck gets a bigger speaking role in its 22nd commercial thanks to the help of the billionaire bride. The mad scientist-inspired television ad titled “Experiment” debuts nationwide during network primetime and on various cable channels.
The 30-second, black-and-white spot, titled “Experiment,” is set inside a laboratory. Melania is strapped to one table while the duck is strapped to another, as a mad scientist explains to his assistant that he will transpose their voices “to tell the world the benefits of Aflac with sex appeal!”
After the assistant throws the switch, the voices are exchanged: the duck wakes up and says in a sultry voice, “If you’re hurt and can’t work, Aflac can help pay your bills with cash.” Trump pops up and blurts “Aflac!” in the familiar duck voice (provided by comic Gilbert Gottfried).
The new spot is the third installment in a new series of Aflac television ads created to educate consumers on the specific benefits of Aflac insurance. Developed by the Kaplan Thaler Group, “Experiment” joins two ads from earlier this year, “The Broken Leg” and “Pet Shop,” in showcasing the duck outside its typical one-word role.
“Following five years of saying only ‘Aflac,’ we believe viewers will enjoy seeing the Aflac Duck talk,” said Dan Amos, chairman and CEO of Aflac. “The commercial gives the duck a voice in a very clever and entertaining way. We were pleased that Melania Trump was available to help the duck talk about the benefits of Aflac with glamorous appeal.”
Trump is a widely recognized celebrity in Europe, having modeled in fashion shows and magazines across the continent. She has been featured on the cover of GQ magazine and has done print ads in fashion publications like Vogue and Vanity Fair. Her resume includes having served as a celebrity judge for the Miss USA 2003 beauty pageant and an appearance on her husband’s popular reality television show, “The Apprentice.” Trump’s appearance in the upcoming Aflac ad marks her first major role in a national television commercial in the United States.
“I am very excited to make my acting debut in the latest Aflac commercial,” said Trump. “Donald is known for saying ‘you’re fired’; maybe I will be known for saying ‘Aflac.'”
Although Aflac has had other celebrities appear in its commercials, Trump is arguably the most glamorous to star alongside the Aflac Duck. The ad will combine Trump’s alluring appeal with the duck’s dry humor to provide entertaining laughs and a clear message of the benefits offered by the insurer.
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