Pele Introduced as Global Brand Ambassador for SUBWAY® Restaurants

MILFORD, Conn., July 31, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- SUBWAY® Restaurants, the world's largest restaurant brand, introduced international soccer icon Pele as the brand's newest "Famous Fan" today. Commonly recognized as the greatest soccer player in history, the Brazilian hero is known and loved throughout the world. He joins a wide-ranging list of athletes with champion pedigrees including Michael Phelps, Apolo Ohno, Nastia Liukin, Ryan Howard and Justin Tuck, who eat at, and work with, SUBWAY® Restaurants.

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As the newest Famous Fan, Pele will appear in various advertising and in-restaurant promotional campaigns throughout a multi-year relationship with the brand in the U.S. and around the globe.

With more than 39,700 SUBWAY® locations in over 102 countries, SUBWAY® Restaurants is the largest restaurant chain in the world, boasting more than 1,000 locations in Pele's native Brazil. A long-time fan of SUBWAY® Restaurants, Pele's favorite sandwich is Tuna on Italian bread with lettuce and salt and pepper.

"Futbol is the global sport and Pele is the pre-eminent player of all time," said Tony Pace, SUBWAY® Global Chief Marketing Officer. "It's great to have him as part of the SUBWAY® brand around the world."

"Throughout my entire career, I always made sure to take care of my body with proper nutrition, training and rest," said Pele.  "With SUBWAY® Restaurants' approach to fresh, better-for-you options, I look forward to working alongside other Famous Fans to encourage families around the world to eat well and lead active lives."  

Edson Arantes do Nascimento, better known as Pele, is regarded as a national hero in his native Brazil and as a soccer legend around the world. He is thought of by many experts, critics, former and current players alike as the best player of all time, having made famous one of today's most exciting soccer moves – the bicycle kick. He is the only player to this day to have won three World Cups and he has held numerous titles including Football Player of the Century and Athlete of the Century. He is considered to be the all-time most successful goal scorer in the world with 1,283 goals throughout his illustrious career.

SUBWAY® Restaurants established this relationship with Pele's agency of record, Legends 10, after an introduction by Mediacom Sport.

About SUBWAY® Restaurants

Headquartered in Milford, Connecticut, and with regional offices in Amsterdam, Beirut, Brisbane, Miami and Singapore, the SUBWAY® brand was co-founded by Fred DeLuca and Dr. Peter Buck in 1965. Their partnership, which continues today, marked the beginning of a remarkable journey - one that has made it possible for thousands of individuals to build and succeed in their own business.  In 2012, SUBWAY® Restaurants became the first restaurant to meet the American Heart Association's Heart-Check Meal Certification Program nutritional criteria.  This year, for the fourth straight year, the SUBWAY® brand was ranked "number one" by consumers in the Zagat® Fast Food Survey in the "Healthy Options," "Most Popular" and "Top Service" categories for food brands with 5,000 or more locations. For more information about the SUBWAY® chain, visit http://www.SUBWAY.com. Find us on Facebook: Facebook.com/SUBWAY. Follow us on Twitter: twitter.com/SUBWAY. SUBWAY® is a registered trademark of Doctor's Associates Inc.

SOURCE SUBWAY Restaurants