The Most Interesting Man in the World
Dos Equis2006
The Most Interesting Man in the World is a 2006 television campaign for Dos Equis, created by Euro RSCG (Havas), New York.
Watch at the source
The line
I don't always drink beer. But when I do, I prefer Dos Equis. Stay thirsty, my friends.
Why it works
Beer advertising's rulebook said young, party, bikinis; Dos Equis cast a silver-bearded man in his sixties and made him a legend: "He once had an awkward moment, just to see how it feels." Built on Havas's research insight that young drinkers' deepest fear was being boring — "they'd rather be dead than dull" — the campaign launched in 2006, went national in 2009, and lifted U.S. sales roughly 22% in a year when imported beer overall declined 4%. The character became one of the most memed figures in advertising history, his template ("I don't always X, but when I do, Y") a permanent internet fixture. It is studied for insight-led character creation and for the courage of casting against every category norm.
Techniques
- Mascots and characters Builds the campaign around a silver-bearded legend in his sixties, a recurring character embodying the opposite of the dullness young drinkers fear.
- Humour Absurdly heroic boasts, such as having an awkward moment just to see how it feels, turn the character's mystique into a running joke.
Sources · 2
Updated
