Aflac Partners with ScottsMiracle-Gro for NASCAR Races in 2010

Scotts Makes Leap Back Into Sprint Cup with Sponsorship of Carl Edwards


COLUMBUS, Ga., Nov. 4  /PRNewswire/ -- Aflac, primary sponsor of Carl Edwards and the No. 99 Aflac Ford Fusion, has announced a partnership with ScottsMiracle-Gro, giving the company primary sponsorship for six Sprint Cup races in the 2010 season. The partnership extends Scotts relationship with Carl Edwards, who earned his first Sprint Cup victory in 2005 in the Scotts-sponsored car.

Scotts currently is the co-primary sponsor of Carl Edwards in the NASCAR Nationwide Series.

"Aflac and Scotts are two great companies that have supported me during my career," said Edwards. "I earned my first Cup victory in a Scotts car and am looking forward to driving for them again in the Sprint Cup Series in 2010."

"Our involvement in NASCAR not only allows us to sponsor a premier driver in Carl Edwards, but also affords us the opportunity to team up with premier brands such as Scotts," said Keith Farley, Motorsports Marketing Manager at Aflac. "This is truly a winning partnership for everyone involved."

The Scotts paint schemes will appear on the No. 99 Ford Fusion for the following races: Daytona Shootout (February), Atlanta Motor Speedway (March), Bristol Motor Speedway (March), Texas Motor Speedway (April), Richmond International Raceway (May), and Charlotte Motor Speedway (May).

"The Scotts Company is thrilled to partner with Aflac, Carl Edwards and get back into Cup racing," said Jim Shertzer, Sponsorship Manager at The Scotts Company. "Our company has a great relationship with Carl Edwards and we're excited to kick-off spring in Daytona in the Scotts Turf Builder car in 2010."

The 2010 season will mark the sixth consecutive season that Edwards will compete full time in both the Nationwide and Sprint Cup Series.

About Aflac

For more than 50 years, Aflac products have given policyholders the opportunity to direct cash where it is needed most when a life-interrupting medical event causes financial challenges. As the number one provider of guaranteed-renewable insurance in the United States and the number one insurance company in terms of individual insurance policies in force in Japan, Aflac insurance products provide protection to more than 40 million people worldwide. Aflac has been recognized by Ethisphere magazine as one of the World's Most Ethical Companies for three consecutive years and was also named by the Reputation Institute as the Most Reputable Company in the Global Insurance Industry for two consecutive years. In 2009 Fortune magazine recognized Aflac as one of the 100 Best Companies to Work For in America for the eleventh consecutive year. Fortune magazine also ranked Aflac No. 1 on its global list of the Most Admired Companies in the Life and Health Insurance category. Aflac appears on Hispanic Enterprise magazine's list of the 50 Best Companies for Supplier Diversity and on Black Enterprise magazine's list of the 40 Best Companies for Diversity. Aflac was also named by Forbes magazine as America's Best-Managed Company in the Insurance category. Aflac Incorporated is a Fortune 500 company listed on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol AFL. To find out more about Aflac, visit aflac.com.

About ScottsMiracle-Gro

With nearly $3 billion in worldwide sales and more than 8,000 associates, The Scotts Miracle-Gro Company, through its wholly-owned subsidiary, The Scotts Company LLC, is the world's largest marketer of branded consumer products for lawn and garden care, with products for professional horticulture as well.  The Company's brands are the most recognized in the industry.  In the U.S., the Company's Scotts®, Miracle-Gro®, and Ortho® brands are market-leading in their categories, as is the consumer Roundup® brand, which is marketed in North America and most of Europe exclusively by Scotts and owned by Monsanto.  In the U.S. the company operates Scotts LawnService®, the second largest residential lawn care service business. In Europe, the Company's brands include Weedol®, Pathclear®, Evergreen®, Levington®, Miracle-Gro®, KB®, Fertiligene® and Substral®. For additional information, visit us at http://www.scotts.com/.

About Roush Fenway Racing

Roush Fenway Racing is NASCAR's largest team operating nine motorsports teams.  Five teams in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series with drivers Matt Kenseth, Jamie McMurray, Greg Biffle, Carl Edwards and David Ragan; three teams (with seven drivers) in the Nationwide Series with Kenseth, Biffle, Edwards, Ragan, Erik Darnell, Ricky Stenhouse Jr. and Colin Braun; and one in the Camping World Truck Series with Braun. For more information on any of the Roush Fenway Racing teams, log on to http://www.roushfenway.com/.  For sponsorship inquiries, please contact Robin Johnson at [phone].

  (Logo:  http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20090422/CL03654LOGO )


  Media Contacts:
  Tim Turner
  Aflac Incorporated
  706.243.5594
  

http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20090422/CL03654LOGODATASOURCE: Aflac



CONTACT:  Tim Turner of Aflac Incorporated, [phone],





Web Site:  http://www.aflac.com/ 

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