NBC's Chuck has officially been off the air for nearly a decade. The spy comedy focuses on Chuck Bartowski (Zachary Levi), a low-key computer nerd turned secret government agent. Even with an abundance of clever storylines, likable characters and witty writing, Chuck continues to be remembered for another reason entirely — its incredibly committed fanbase.

The multi-genre series initially garnered mass attention in 2009. Following Season 2, the knowledge that Chuck was "on the bubble" became public. In short, the chances of the series getting the axe from its network's fall lineup was likely.

Numerous shows, even those of which are critically acclaimed, have become subject to untimely cancellation, and not getting renewed happens frequently. But a fanbase strategically campaigning and successfully saving a series is something of a rarity. That said, a handful of shows have been fortunate enough to achieve this seemingly impossible goal, and included on the shortlist is Chuck.

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How A Subway Sandwich Saved Chuck

Chuck Casey and Walker look shocked

A show's cancellation will typically be in direct correlation with how low its ratings are. In Chuck's case, the ratings didn't align with the devotion viewers had for the series. Due to this, the show's mighty, albeit small, fanbase used product placement to their advantage and took their "Save Chuck" campaign to social media.

The campaign first launched when a blog called "Give Me My Remote" changed its handle to "Give Me My Chuck." Additionally, tons of viewers began using the hashtag #savechuck on Twitter and Facebook, while others changed their profile backgrounds to images which supported the campaign. To further show their devotion, many fans went to Subway (one of the show's sponsors) and purchased a $5 footlong sandwich on the day Chuck's Season 2 finale aired.

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During one particularly wholesome moment of the campaign, Zachary Levi enthusiastically helped the cause. While in England for a convention, Levi led a group of fans to a Subway shop, where the star proceeded to get behind the counter and help make footlong sandwiches for all of the hundreds of people he had brought to the restaurant. In a video taken after Levi got back to the convention center, he says, "NBC will see that and say, 'damn, what an amazing and odd group of people that was. But doesn't Chuck deserve another season?'"

The campaign continued full steam ahead until NBC finally announced Chuck's renewal. Before returning to the small screen, the Peacock network and Subway struck a special sponsorship deal.

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The Power Of Product Placement

Chuck & Morgan

Rightfully so, many viewers tend to have a negative connotation when it comes to the sponsors that financially back the TV shows and movies they love. For this reason, the approach to the "Save Chuck" campaign is fascinating. Fans let the show's main sponsor know that they were all (potentially) loyal customers and would continue to be if Chuck got renewed.

In truth, product placement is nothing new, but in some ways, Chuck unintentionally revolutionized the relationship advertisers would have with television shows in the years to come. After overtly being implemented into Chuck's plot lines and dialogue, Subway all but became a character in the series. Arguably, the in-your-face advertising is somewhat distracting. Nevertheless, the fan's strategy for the campaign is still praise worthy for its unique approach and successful execution.

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In April, co-creators Josh Schwartz and Chris Fedak spoke during Entertainment Weekly's EW Reunions: #UnitedAtHome series. Both creators seemed interested in the idea of revisiting the action-packed world of Chuck through a movie or limited series. Although a Chuck revival isn't currently in the works, it does seem to be something the creators (and cast) are more than willing to consider.

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