This is pretty cute, showing the Aflac duck playing golf with some business guys, and the duck is not any good at golf, but the business guy explains to his friend that Aflac is so helpful with their insurance stuff that he's willing to put up with the duck holding up his golf game. But when the duck starts cheating at golf, all of a sudden we go into dangerous messaging territory, because while it's cute and funny and all, it also could make us begin to think about Aflac possibly being dishonest, and with what people already think about insurance being an industry of disingenuousness, where we pay in but they pay lawyers with our money to figure out how they can avoid paying out on our claims when we need help, any hint whatsoever of a lack of trustworthiness can be the kiss of death. And remember, the duck represents Aflac, an insurance company, part of an industry that must be especially careful to project honesty and trustworthiness at all times. So when the duck acts dishonestly in a cavalier manner, it reflects poorly on the company, at least message-wise. (And yes, I know the cheating thing is just a joke, but it raises an issue better left alone for an insurance company ad.)
I'm not trying to be a buzzkill or suggest malevolence here; I'm just pointing out what I see as possibly a serious messaging issue here for this company in what is intended as a playful, fun commercial. And the message issue is this: the duck shouldn't cheat at golf in a commercial, because if he does that when we can see him, maybe he cheats customers on their claims when we can't see him. And if he's this flagrant and open in his cheating at golf in a television commercial, maybe he cheats at everything he does in his ads, like possibly openly lying in the ads. I'm not saying Aflac is dishonest or lies or any such thing; I'm only saying this: If an insurance company shows their mascot as a blatant cheat in their ad, it could send the suggestion subliminally that their company cheats too, and it could backfire rather than help. And ads are so expensive to get made and run, they should only ever help (if possible), otherwise it defeats the whole purpose of making an ad to begin with.
Especially the quotes: "Is that legal?" "No!" are potentially problematic. See what I mean? (Yes, it's just a joke about golf. But this is an ad about insurance. See what I mean now?)
Here's the cheating spot:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P9XhX7By7h4
