The company formerly known as American Family Life Insurance Company, was founded in 1955 by the Amos brothers in Columbus, Georgia and is now known as Aflac. The company developed an innovative cancer policy and presented it to employees as a supplementary insurance policy. Aflac eventually became a household name in Japan, as not only does one in four families have an Aflac policy, but 90% of employers in Japan also offer Aflac to their employees. (Aflac – Japan) Despite the name's popularity and recognition in Japan, not many people in the United States recognized the name Aflac. Branding Aflac in the United States meant taking a risk that no one could have ever imagined would create the icon it has become today. In 2000, Aflac hired an advertising firm, Kaplan Thaler Group (KTG), to develop its new advertising campaign. “The Aflac duck is not only making its way into advertising history, but it is catapulting the company's insurance sales to record numbers.” (The Mighty Duck) Insurance is one of those businesses that is perceived as boring and lacking any luster. How can a person be entertained by an insurance company let alone remember the name of the insurance company after another one of those boring insurance commercials? In 1974, Aflac became the third U.S. company licensed to sell insurance in Japan, now accounting for more than 75 percent of Aflac's annual revenue. (Aflac – Japan) It didn't happen overnight, but Aflac eventually became the leading insurance company in Japan, a title once held by Nippon Life, for more than 100 years. (Harvard Business Review) Ninety percent of Japanese companies... middle of the paper... themselves since we've seen all companies take a risk and then fail. Aflac will go down in advertising history as one of the most successful advertising campaigns and brand awareness strategies. Works Cited"." Aflac. aflac, August 1, 2010. Web. April 21, 2014. .PR, Newswire. “Aflac is consumers' first choice for voluntary insurance.” The Business Journal A Division of ACBJ (): n. page Print.Chordas, Lori. “The Mighty Duck: Aflac is growing sales and name recognition.” Review by Best 1 May 2003, section. Life/Health: Marketing: n. page Print.Hill, Linda. "Growth in Aflac's Two Key Markets 1999-2008." Harvard Business Review 13 July 2010: n. page Network. .Amos. "A powerful brand." Aflac. Aflac, 1 December 2013. Web. 21 April. 2014. .