Mark Silvester
Dr. Jessica O’Hara
LA 101 H.013
March 1, 2011
Interesting Man, Interesting Ad
Everyone experiences it: the desire to be thought highly of by friends and strangers, to
experience the aristocratic lifestyle of a pop culture icon, to be a multi-talented man or woman of
the world. Dos Equis captures the essence of these universal wishes in its current advertising
campaign, "The Most Interesting Man in the World." The extensive series revolves around an
aging gentleman repeatedly referred to as the world’s most interesting man; through each
installation, viewers are exposed to a variety of the man's life experiences and to his current
status as a classy and vital senior citizen still capable of enjoying himself and attracting beautiful
young women. By displaying such a character as a fan of its product, the company shows
viewers the possibilities created by the purchase and consumption of Dos Equis brand
beers. Dos Equis influences a wide variety of audiences, ranging from older men to young
women, by employing the ethos of an ideal man, the pathos of situational humor and nostalgia,
and the logos of a simple, pragmatic appeal to all beer drinkers.
The ethos of the most interesting man in the world attracts customers from all walks of
life who crave to be thought highly of and maintain an aura of celebrity and worldliness. The
gentleman who serves as the centerpiece of the ads is no more than a hired actor, but the
designers of the campaign have painted him as an icon of his time and a standout in physical,
social, and academic spheres. Through vintage film clips of the man's past accomplishments, the
audience learns that he truly is one of the most interesting people in existence. For every
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segment of the beer market, there's a clip: The man saves a bear from a trap in one commercial,
and rescues a fox being poached for its fur in another. He can be seen shooting a pool queue off
a waiter's face and sinking four balls at once, and later diving off a cliff into a choppy ocean. In
another segment, the man has a piano flown into a field, where he will presumably play the
instrument beautifully. Each of these scenarios captures the attention of a different segment of
the market, from environmentalist to musician. The campaign’s designers also create ethos by
portraying the man as an aristocratic, jet-setting character. Constantly dressed in fine suits,
puffing on expensive cigars, and exploring all corners of the world, the man is clearly of an
elevated social status, thus providing a reliable source of ethos for viewers who aspire to such a
place in society. By playing to the interests of multiple groups of customers and illustrating the
character’s high esteem, Dos Equis creates outstanding ethos for the most interesting man,
encouraging all viewers to believe what he says and remember his image. Upon buying in to the
campaign’s content and its character's accomplishments, viewers see the man as a trustworthy
source of information, making his ethos reliable and effective.
Dos Equis' "Most Interesting Man in the World" campaign appeals to viewers' pathos by
tickling their senses of humor and stimulating their nostalgic impulses. While the audience is
meant to view the gentleman in the commercials as a reliable source of ethos, the situation of the
commercials creates humor: By portraying a sharp-dressed older man accomplishing
outstanding feats, the designers of the ads make the audience chuckle, tickling their senses of
humor and encouraging an emotional response to the commercials. At the tail end of many of the
advertisements, the man urges viewers to "Stay thirsty, my friends," and this statement is both
amusing and applicable to his lifestyle and the desired lifestyles of many of the ad's
viewers. The fact that the man makes such a statement while surrounded by young women
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implies a second meaning: The term “thirsty” applies not only to physical thirst for Dos Equis,
but also to sexual vitality and a life-long sense of youth. Also appealing to viewers' pathos is
nostalgia: The ads create a sense of an era past and a breed of man that no longer exists. The
most interesting man has a vaguely international, aristocratic quality, perhaps reminding viewers
of a Sean Connery-style James Bond. The vintage video clips, fine cigars, sharp attire, and
upscale restaurants allude to an era when people enjoyed aristocratic pleasures with class and
dignity. The campaign challenges viewers to reconsider the popular sentiment that such a
lifestyle no longer exists, for the man is portrayed enjoying it in modern times; this gives the
audience a hope of attaining a life of luxury and aristocracy they had believed extinct. Nostalgia
for times passed affects viewers of Dos Equis’ advertisements, and each ad offers its audience an
invitation to experience the timeless lifestyle of the most interesting man in the world.
Lastly, Dos Equis makes a simple logical appeal to its audience in order to encourage
more beer drinkers to try its product. At the conclusion of each commercial, the gentleman is
portrayed in the setting of an upscale restaurant or casino, surrounded by young women; he then
addresses the audience familiarly and explains, "I don't always drink beer, but when I do, I prefer
Dos Equis." This statement is simple, unarguable, and direct, making it extremely
effective. Rather than claiming Dos Equis to be "the best tasting light beer" or "the classiest
lager around," the most interesting man claims to have a preference for the beverage based solely
on his reputable and logical opinion. Also, the man's claim that he is no regular beer drinker
illustrates the fact that his taste is discriminating and independent of others’ opinions or habits.
A connoisseur of many of the fine things in life, the character holds an opinion of Dos Equis that
means a great deal to customers that believe themselves deserving of the best product
available. Through the most interesting man’s statement, Dos Equis stresses quality over
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quantity, portraying itself as a cut above companies that hope to attract full-time beer drinkers or
dieters that want to drink as much as they can on as few calories as possible. Because of the
man's statement of preference and the ethos the designers have established, many such
consumers become willing to give Dos Equis a try rather than purchasing the same beer as they
usually drink. Using a logical statement of preference, Dos Equis effectively draws in both
occasional and frequent beer drinkers, proving the campaign to be effective across multiple
segments of the targeted audience.
Dos Equis' "Most Interesting Man in the World" campaign aims to attract customers by
utilizing the ethos of a classy gentleman, the situational humor and nostalgic feel of his
accomplishments and lifestyle, and the logic of a simple statement of preference. While other
beer producers bicker back and forth at each other through advertising, Dos Equis appears to take
the high ground through its campaign, making it seem a high-end company that refuses to lower
itself to the standards of other producers. Prospective beer buyers are encouraged to enjoy the
good life by associating with the worldly character of the world's most interesting man and
drinking the beverage he prefers. Many customers, especially males who idolize the actor and
hope to achieve great things and surround themselves with beautiful women, are urged to try the
product by the ethos of the man. Others still are drawn in by the campaign's humor and
nostalgia, which cause the character’s image to stick in their minds and encourages them to try
the product the next time they see it at the store. All segments of the beer market are appealed to
by the man's logical statement of preference which places Dos Equis brand on a pedestal above
its groveling competitors. By making use of ethos, pathos, and logos effectively, the designers
of the Dos Equis advertising campaign accomplish their goals and appeal to all viewers who
hope to lead lives of class, worldliness, and accomplishment.
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Works Cited
Dos Equis. Advertisement. YouTube. 10 Apr. 2007. Web. 17 Feb. 2011.
<http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Bc0WjTT0Ps>.
Dos Equis. Advertisement. YouTube. 14 May 2008. Web. 17 Feb. 2011.
<http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CRaTekm9Ak8&feature=related>.