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© History Oasis
Subway built its brand around one man’s weight loss story. When that man fell, the company fell with him.
1965-1999
Fred DeLuca was 17 when he borrowed $1,000 to open “Pete’s Super Submarines” in Bridgeport, Connecticut, in 1965. Dr. Peter Buck, a family friend, provided the cash. The focus was simple: make sandwiches, grow the business.
The company became “Subway” in 1968. For the next three decades, Subway marketed itself without a fast food mascot or spokesperson. Print ads and TV commercials sold sandwiches, not personalities. The strategy worked. Franchises multiplied across America.
In the early 2000s, Subway tested partnerships with Cartoon Network characters for kids’ meals.
2000-2015
Jared Fogle weighed 425 pounds in 1998. As an Indiana University student, he created a diet centered on Subway sandwiches. He walked to the restaurant daily, ate specific subs, and lost 245 pounds.
A campus newspaper wrote about his transformation in April 1999. Men’s Health magazine picked up the story. Subway’s ad agency saw an opportunity.
On January 1, 2000, Fogle’s first commercial aired nationally. The disclaimer was careful: “The Subway diet, combined with a lot of walking, worked for Jared. We’re not saying this is for everyone.”
The ads worked. Fogle became Subway’s face. He appeared in over 300 commercials by 2013. Subway credited him with driving one-third to one-half of the company’s growth.
Fogle expanded beyond advertising. He founded the Jared Foundation in 2004 to fight childhood obesity. He wrote a memoir in 2006. South Park spoofed him in 2002, cementing his cultural status.
By 2015, Fogle was worth $15 million. Subway extended his contract and launched “Jared’s Journey,” a new campaign celebrating his story.
2015
In April 2015, Russell Taylor faced arrest. Taylor ran the Jared Foundation and faced charges.
On July 7, 2015, FBI agents raided Fogle’s Indiana home. That same day, Subway announced they were suspending their relationship with him.
On August 19, 2015, Fogle pleaded guilty to exploiting children and things so horrible we won’t even mention them in this article.
On November 19, 2015, a federal judge sentenced him to 15 years and 8 months in prison.
Subway’s reputation scores dropped from 77 to 71 in six months. Fifteen years of brand equity disappeared in weeks.
2015-Present
Subway abandoned the single spokesman model. The company now uses multiple celebrities and athletes instead of one central figure. No unified mascot exists.
Fogle remains in federal prison in Colorado. His earliest release date is March 24, 2029.
Subway learned what McDonald’s and KFC always knew. Cartoon mascots don’t get arrested.
Ronald McDonald and Colonel Sanders (the character, not the man) offer brands control and predictability. Human spokespeople bring authenticity but carry risk.
Subway built its identity around one person’s story. When that person’s reputation collapsed, the brand collapsed with him.
The company now focuses on food quality and franchise growth rather than personality-driven marketing.
Jared Fogle shows the power and peril of human mascots. Authentic stories sell sandwiches. But real people have real flaws.
The safest mascot is the one that exists only in cartoons.
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