Aflac duck hits the gym in new ad making debut on ‘The Voice’ and ‘The Muppets’

That rascally Aflac duck is at it again, this time stirring up trouble at a gymnasium in a 30-second ad that will make its debut Tuesday evening on the hit NBC show, “The Voice,” and a new ABC series, “The Muppets.”

The spot, titled appropriately “Gym,” finds the white-feathered fowl Aflac-quacking its way through the fitness center — from making a powder angel on the weightlifting floor to popping out of a large tire and startling someone exercising. Toward the end, the creature is pooped and passes out on a medicine (fitness) ball.

The punch line from a man exercising: “I’d be tired, too. He paid my claim in one day when I got hurt.” That’s a reference to the Columbus-based supplemental insurance firm’s “One Day Pay” campaign that guarantees policyholders their money quickly after suffering an injury.

The ad doesn’t mention if the man was hurt while exercising in the gym. But the online site WebMD says the most common workout injuries are pulling or straining a muscle, spraining an ankle, hurting a shoulder or knee, suffering shin splints or tendinitis, and spraining or dislocating a wrist.

“We take a humorous approach to showing his missteps in the gym, but we know that injuries are commonplace for athletes and everyday people trying to maintain a healthy lifestyle,” Keith Pellerin, Aflac’s vice president of Product Managment and Innovation, said in a statement.

After first appearing on “The Muppets” and “The Voice,” with both airing at 8 p.m. EDT, the new commercial will begin rolling out in other programming, including TV shows, sports events, movies and holiday specials, the company said.

The Aflac duck, introduced to the world in 1999, has pushed the firm’s name-brand recognition to 96 percent in the U.S., with the company reporting having spent about $100 million on various advertising initiatives in 2014. It doesn’t break down how much specifically went to the duck, which also keeps a high profile on social media sites such as Facebook and Twitter.

There have been more than 70 commercials altogether, with the ads typically receiving extra attention during their premieres. One ad earlier in May had the duck making its “Hair Salon” debut on a “Dancing With the Stars” finale, while another, “Duck Does Yoga,” surfaced initally in August on a CMA Music Festival special. 

Founded in 1955, Aflac sells health and life insurance policies in the U.S. and Japan, the latter making up at least 75 percent of its business. The company, headquartered on Wynnton Road in Columbus, has grown to revenue of nearly $23 billion per year, roughly $3 billion of that profit. It employs more than 9,000 people in the U.S. and Japan, about 4,000 of those in Columbus.

This story was originally published September 21, 2015 at 3:27 PM with the headline "Aflac duck hits the gym in new ad making debut on ‘The Voice’ and ‘The Muppets’ ."