COLUMBUS, Ga., March 14, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Aflac announced
today that it has severed ties with comedian Gilbert Gottfried.
"Gilbert's recent comments about the crisis in Japan were lacking in humor and certainly do
not represent the thoughts and feelings of anyone at Aflac,"
Aflac Senior Vice President and
Chief Marketing Officer Michael Zuna
said. "Aflac Japan - and, by extension, Japan itself - is part of the Aflac family,
and there is no place for anything but compassion and concern
during these difficult times."
Aflac will immediately set plans in motion to conduct a
nationwide casting call to find a new voice of the iconic Aflac
Duck. It should be noted that Gilbert
Gottfried is not the voice of the Aflac Duck in Japan.
Last week Aflac announced that the company was donating
100 million yen to the International
Red Cross for disaster assistance.
ABOUT AFLAC
When a policyholder gets sick or hurt, Aflac pays cash benefits
fast. For 55 years, Aflac insurance policies have helped provide a
safety net and given policyholders the opportunity to focus on
recovery, not financial stress. In the
United States, Aflac is the number one provider of
guaranteed-renewable insurance. In Japan, Aflac is the number one insurance
company in terms of individual insurance policies in force. Aflac
insurance products provide protection to more than 50 million
people worldwide. For four consecutive years, Aflac has been
recognized by Ethisphere magazine as one of the World's Most
Ethical Companies and by Forbes magazine as one of America's
Best-Managed Companies in the Insurance category. In 2011,
Fortune magazine recognized Aflac as one of the 100 Best
Companies to Work For in America for the thirteenth consecutive
year. Also, Fortune magazine included Aflac on its list of
Most Admired Companies for the 10th time in 2011. Aflac
Incorporated is a Fortune 500 company listed on the New York Stock
Exchange under the symbol AFL. To find out more about Aflac, visit
aflac.com or aflacenespanol.com.
(Logo:
http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20100423/CL92305LOGO )
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Media Contacts:
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Analyst and Investment
Contact:
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Laura Kane
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Robin Y. Wilkey
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Aflac Incorporated
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Aflac Incorporated
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706.596.3493
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1.800.235.2667, Option 3;
Fax: 706.324.6330
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lkane@aflac.com
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rwilkey@aflac.com
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Jon A. Sullivan
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Aflac Incorporated
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706.763.4813
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jsullivan@aflac.com
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SOURCE Aflac