Meet Ad Age's 2016 40 Under 40

George Felix oversees a team responsible for everything KFC, from TV and digital marketing to what appears inside and outside the chain's U.S. restaurants. The idea of using founder Colonel Sanders in a fresh way was cooked up before Mr. Felix joined in May 2015. But he swooped in and on his second day on the job was at a shoot for what became the campaign launch spot.

With his help, sales gains have continued and KFC was the most shared fast-food brand on social media in 2015, according to Unruly. He sees parallels between his current assignment and his early marketing work on the Old Spice "Smell Like a Man" campaign at Procter & Gamble.

"It's really taking an old, iconic American brand that has kind of lost its way a bit," he said, "and making it appealing to a new generation of consumers."

Read the entire story on the Ad Age website.