photo/ Jared Fogle's Facebook page

Jared Fogle, spokesperson for the Subway sandwich chain, has brought more awareness to himself and the brand after gaining 40 pounds and then losing it by preparing for the ING New York City Marathon, says AdAge magazine. Says an officer representing a franchisee advertising cooperative responsible for creating, funding and managing national advertising:

"The fact that he gained weight and was able to take it off is actually inspirational," said Tony Pace, senior VP-chief marketing officer, Subway Franchisee Advertising Fund Trust. "He has that quality given what he was able to accomplish. It's a real story. He's not a marketing artifice in that regard." Mr. Pace said Subway's social-media engagement has gone up considerably in the weeks since the marathon, especially on Facebook. [via AdAge]