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Aflac targets music fans with Grammys-themed sponsored Pandora station

Aflac?s newest campaign sees the insurance company teaming up with Grammy nominee Brandy Clark for a social video campaign along with a branded Pandora station of Grammys-related music.

The partnership will see the debut of a video campaign involving Ms. Clark and the famous Aflac Duck promoting the brand, with the Pandora channel being in effect now. The campaign shows Aflac taking a multi-dimensional approach to how it does marketing in the modern era.

"Aflac understands that music plays an important role in how young adults express their personalities and lifestyles," Aflac Senior Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer Gail Galuppo said. "When illness or injury strikes, we want them to know that Aflac insurance can help cover those out-of-pocket expenses that health insurance doesn't cover so they can continue to live life to the fullest ? whether that means buying a new guitar or tickets to the next big music festival."

Grammys
With the Grammys around the corner, now is the time for brands to cash in on the next big public event to capture the attention of customers.

Aflac is capitalizing on the Grammys in a few different ways, ranging from a social video campaign to a more innovative take on branded music.

First, the company is working with Brandy Clarke for a new social video campaign.

The video spot will show Ms. Clarke working with the Aflac Duck, who will be having her back in a variety of situations and making her life easier.


The campaign is meant to show how Aflac makes its customers lives easier and will be there for them when things go wrong.

The video will debut on Aflac?s social media channels and will be optimized to be viewable on mobile.

But beyond the video campaign, Aflac is also taking a more interesting marketing approach related to music and the Grammys.

In addition to the video spot, Aflac will also be teaming up with Pandora for a branded Grammys playlist streamable through the Pandora mobile app and hyping up attention for both the brand and the event.

Sponsored station
The Grammys Station, sponsored by Aflac, is accessible now through the Pandora mobile app.

This sponsored station represents a significant brand partnership for Pandora, who has been steadily leveraging the popularity of its mobile streams to be taken more seriously in the world of media and entertainment.

For example, the Billboard charts are now finally taking Pandora streams into account, legitimizing the platform as a popular form of music dispersal (see story).

86 percent of music consumers listen on their smartphones

The partnership is also consistent with recent data that suggests mobile is the new hub for both music and movie media (see story).

Aflac is making a smart choice by tying its brand to this popular new platform. 

"As my career has transitioned from songwriter to singer/songwriter over the past few years, I have realized how important it is to have a strong team around me," Clark said. "Just as my team has my back, Aflac is there for its policyholders, helping make sure unexpected surprises don't impact the life they love. I am excited to work with the Aflac Duck to help tell this story."