Aflac

Watching the Aflac commercial, the first technique that pops into my head is wit and humor.  The Aflac duck is shown working out with a motivational song playing in the background.  Everything about the video is just outrageous and hilarious because of how idiotic the commercial is.  To me, the duck is being portrayed as a professional athlete who is focusing so hard on trying to get back to full recovery.  The music adds to the "intensity in the air" and the trainer is even motivating and pushing the duck to go his hardest.  The commercial is extremely out of the ordinary, which is what Aflac intended to do.  The insurance company wants to divert the audience's attention to the commercial by giving them a reason to laugh.

The second technique that pops into my head as i watch this commercial is gestalt.  What's wrong with this picture? Well, for one thing, there is a duck working out at the gym as if he were a regular human being.  The duck isn't just walking around, not really knowing what he is doing like other ducks would normally do.  Opposed to this, he is actually doing multiple physical therapy activities such as lifting weights or jump roping.  Ducks definitely do not fulfill these activities, nor do we ever see them doing them.  Because the actions of the duck is extremely out of the ordinary, the technique of gestalt is evident to try to get consumers to remember the brand Aflac.

Aflac's display of a duck accomplishing difficult tasks is appealing to people's need to achieve.  The physical therapist in the commercial explains to us about how the duck is recovering from his injury.  The duck is then shown doing various exercises such as swimming and lifting weights.  He does not need to worry about his expenses, and therefore, can focus on overcoming the obstacles on his road to recovery.  Although a duck is being shown as achieving difficult tasks, it still appeals to consumer's need to achieve.  People see themselves being able to get past any obstacles.  They are being informed that they do not need to worry about their expenses when they are recovering from an injury.  Therefore, consumer's need to achieve is fulfilled since they can do anything they want without having to worry about paying off expenses.

The color scheme of the commercial is being used as a form of repetition.  The ad is taking place at a gym that has the colors of blue and white.  Every single screen shot has the colors blue and white in it, which are the colors of the Aflac logo.  The color scheme is therefore significant because it is trying to get consumers to remember the two specific colors repeated.  Aflac desires to do this because they want consumers to think of their brand whenever they see the colors of white and blue.  People will then think of Aflac more often and even want to purchase the insurance.