The Most Interesting Man in the World
August Hodge
“I don’t always drink beer, but when I do, I prefer Dos Equis”. This is among the
most successful marketing campaigns in recent memory. Independent of the brand Dos
Equis, the “Most Interesting Man in the World” is well known and has spawned many
spinoffs and memes on the Internet. This ad is funny and aesthetically pleasing, making
it very engaging for the audience. Also enjoyable are the activities performed by the Most
Interesting Man in the World, those running the gamut from enviable to patently
ridiculous. The marketing success of the Most Interesting Man in the World campaign is
especially fascinating, as none of the activities depicted in the commercial have anything
to do with drinking. Even the slogan in the ad does not endorse drunken partying- it
simply states that Dos Equis is a good beer, even in moderation. This claim is vastly
different from the claims of most beer commercials. Although Dos Equis makes no
specific claims or appeals about the product, the viral marketing technique and humor
utilized by the Dos Equis ad campaign make it attractive to a huge audience, and allow it
to exist fully independently of the product it endorses.
The composition of the “Most Interesting Man in the World” commercials
follows a somewhat formulaic theme. Grainy low-color video footage of a younger
“Most Interesting Man in the World” is shown, with a constant and well-worded
narration. The video clips show the Man doing a series of exciting activities that appear
to take place all over the world, though the exact locations are never apparent. In these
exotic locales, the Interesting Man performs a series of feats, including freeing a bear
from a trap, cooking a meal for his pet puma, sword fighting two men simultaneously,
catching a marlin with his hands, and even benchpressing two women in a casino.
The voice overs in the ads are also quite interesting, as then range from humorous
to outrageous, including such gems as, “Even his enemies list him as an emergency
contact”, as well as, “he can speak French, in Russian”. Many of these claims are never
substantiated, and, more humorously, often have little to do with the footage being shown
alongside. The seeming professionality and matter-of-fact attitude of the statements
imply that they are factual, and cause the viewer to suspend his disbelief until a comment
becomes simply too outrageous.
The endings of the ads are essentially the same, adding to the signature
individuality of the campaign as a whole. Always shown in the ads is the well-dressed
“Most Interesting Man in the World”, drinking a single beer, and often flanked by two
beautiful young women. The after a close-up, the Interesting Man turns to the camera and
gives his endorsement of the brand- “I don’t always drink beer, but when I do, I prefer
Dos Equis”. He then follows up with his signature sign-off and traditional farewell- “Stay
thirsty, my friends”. The debonair phrasing and timbre of his voice come across as very
smooth, and de-emphasize his obviously lavish surroundings.
First aired in 2006, the “Most Interesting Man in the World” commercials feature
actor Jonathan Goldsmith playing the title role. The commercials are narrated by Will
Lyman of Frontline, and are set against the song “Barcelona Nights” by Ottmar Liebert.
Public response to the Dos Equis ads has been extremely positive, and sales of Dos Equis
in the United States have experienced a yearly increase in part because of the campaign’s
success. Dos Equis’ sales increased 22% during 2006-2010 whereas imported beer sales
at large fell 4%.
The rationale of Euro RSCG, the marketing firm responsible for the “Most
Interesting Man in the World”, is that the Most Interesting Man in the World is “…a man
rich in stories and experiences, much the way the audience hopes to be in the future”, as
well as saying that Dos Equis believes, much like the Man, that life is best lived
interestingly. This novel usage of a character as an embodiment of the brand as opposed
to a brand spokesman has lead to a higher level of interest in the Most Interesting Man in
the World than most other spokespeople or mascots.
Although the Dos Equis campaign is not the first advertisement to use humor to
appeal to large and specific audience, it is an excellent example of this, using multiple
techniques to form a palatable campaign of guerrilla marketing. The techniques used by
the confluence of marketing and psychological techniques used in the “Most Interesting
Man” are manifold, but result in a deceptively simple end product. The most evident
technique used is that of humor. The claims in the ads are not unlike the ubiquitous
Chuck Norris jokes, and the Man himself evokes an image of no one moreso than
Connery’s James Bond. Through the increasingly improbable claims about the Most
Interesting Man in the World, Dos Equis makes it evident that these ads are made to be
enjoyed, not to be taken seriously. This cheekiness and relaxed attitude make for a much
more attractive campaign, one that is more fun than the strained and forced merriment
depicted by the over sexualized Bud Light commercials (among others).
This ad also has a lot going on beneath its deceptively simple exterior. The Most
Interesting Man in the World uses many techniques that go beyond the simple humor and
personality of the advertisements. Among these more complex techniques are the use of
self-referential humor in the ads, the sense of identity with the audience, and the
conversion of the Dos Equis slogan into an easily used meme.
Among the most successful techniques of the Dos Equis campaign is its usage of
meta-humor. This shows that we as the audience are not supposed to take the ad too
seriously, since the purpose is not to inform, but to amuse. The frankness of the ads
shows that Dos Equis is not actually attempting to sell its product using flash, but instead
is trying simply to make a funny ad to remind the public about the Dos Equis product.
This more subtle selling technique feels much more genuine and honest than the forced
merriment and sex depicted in most other beer commercials.
Because of this intentional mix of factors, the Most Interesting Man in the World
campaign has gained notoriety as a meme on the Internet, essentially granting it (free)
publicity and even a type of immortality. The dogma “I don’t always (X), but when I
do… (Y)” has grown so prevalent that it would be hard to go onto any Internet
community without being bombarded by unpaid plugs for Dos Equis beer.
Through the usage of all of these different strategies and factors, Dos Equis has
created an extremely successful advertising campaign. Although Dos Equis makes no
specific claims or appeals about the product, the viral marketing technique and humor
utilized by the Dos Equis ad campaign make it attractive to a huge audience, and allow it
to exist fully independently of the product it endorses. The most Interesting Man in the
World plays on the audiences emotions by showing how cool he is, and endears itself to
the audience by showing Dos Equis willingness to be casual and funny. This has lead to a
popular adoration of the brand as well as the commercials, and has made it an oft-used
meme and highly viewed Youtube video. The informal nature of the Interesting Man’s
representation of the brand further solidifies Dos Equis as an apparently classy brand and
makes a desirable product even moreso. The Most Interesting Man in the World is an
excellent example of a well-run viral marketing campaign, and has proven to entertain as
well as increasing the sale of Dos Equis. The Interesting Man creates a truly interesting
commercial and represents a truly interesting brand that will remain popular for years to
come. Stay thirst, my friends.