The Most Interesting Man in the World
| The Most Interesting Man in The World | |
|---|---|
 Jonathan Goldsmith plays the Most Interesting Man in the World |
|
| First appearance | 2006 |
| Portrayed by | Jonathan Goldsmith |
| Company | Cuauhtémoc Moctezuma Brewery |
| Information | |
| Aliases | The World's Most Interesting Man |
| Gender | Male |
| Occupation | Advisor |
The Most Interesting Man in the World is a character in an advertising campaign for the Dos Equis brand of beer, produced by the marketing firm Euro RSCG for Cuauhtémoc Moctezuma Brewery.[1] The ads feature Jonathan Goldsmith as "the world's most interesting man" and are narrated by Frontline's Will Lyman.[2] Goldsmith has stated that his friend, actor Fernando Lamas, was an inspiration in creating the character.[3] The advertisements first began appearing in the United States in 2006.
Contents |
Advertisements [edit]
The advertisements feature a bearded, debonair gentleman roughly in his 70s (portrayed by actor Jonathan Goldsmith).[4] with Frontline narrator Will Lyman conducting voiceovers. As Ottmar Liebert's "Barcelona Nights" plays in the background, the advertisements featured a montage of daring exploits involving "the most interesting man" when he was younger.
The precise settings are never revealed, but he performs feats such as: freeing an angry bear from a painful-looking bear trap; shooting a pool trick shot before an Indian audience (by shooting the cue ball out of the mouth of a man lying on the pool table); catching a marlin while cavorting in a Hemingway-esque scene with a beautiful, young woman; winning an arm-wrestling match in a South American setting; surfing the killer wave; and bench pressing two young East Asian women in a casino setting, each woman being seated in a chair. The voiceovers themselves are intended to be both humorous and outrageous ("if he were to punch you in the face, you would have to fight off the strong urge to thank him"; "he can speak French, in Russian"; "even his enemies list him as their emergency contact").
At the end of the advertisement, the interesting man says, "I don't always drink beer, but when I do, I prefer Dos Equis." Each commercial ends with a signature sign-off: "Stay thirsty, my friends."[5]
Occasionally, there is another kind of ad that features the man sitting at a table at an elegant bar, usually flanked by two beautiful younger women, where he gives his insights on certain subjects (examples: on life - "It's never too early to start beefing up your obituary"; on the two-party system - "The after-party is the one you want to attend").
Sales strategy and results [edit]
The agency's rationale for the brand strategy was defined thus: "He is a man rich in stories and experiences, much the way the audience hopes to be in the future. Rather than an embodiment of the brand, The Most Interesting Man is a voluntary brand spokesperson: he and Dos Equis share a point of view on life that it should be lived interestingly."[6] According to the company, U.S. sales increased each year between 2006-2010[7] and tripled in Canada in 2008,[8] although exact figures were not provided. Sales of Dos Equis are said to have increased by 22% at a time when sale of other imported beer fell 4% in the U.S.[8]
Goldsmith said in an interview that he realized how successful the campaign had been when a man came up to him in a restaurant, telling him that he had asked his young son what he wanted to be when he grew up, and the son replied: "I want to be The Most Interesting Man In The World." [9]
The Most Interesting Man in the World has also become an Internet meme, with a picture of The Most Interesting Man accompanying the phrasal template "I don't always [X], but when I do, I [Y]"[10][11][12]
Trivia [edit]
- In some episodes of So Random!, the Most Interesting Man in the World commercials are spoofed as "The Coolest Kid in School" with the title character being played by Doug Brochu.
- In a Season 38 episode of Saturday Night Live that was hosted by Joseph Gordon-Levitt, two commercial ads had Joseph Gordon-Levitt starring as "The Son of the Most Interesting Man in the World" while The Most Interesting Man in the World was played by Jason Sudeikis.[13]
Notes [edit]
- ^ Helliesen, Gunnar (04/7/2010). "The most interesting ad in the world". Seattle Post-Intelligencer.
- ^ Forbes, Paula (5/4/2009). "Every Video from Dos Equis' The Most Interesting Man In the World Ad Campaign".
- ^ Paumgarten, Nick (February 7, 2011). "INTERESTING". The New Yorker Magazine. Retrieved October 7, 2011.
- ^ blog
- ^ Stay Thirsty, My Friends
- ^ Francis Pruett. "The Most Interesting Beer Campaign in The World?". The Witty Barman Guide. Retrieved 2010-10-15.
- ^ Austin Carr (2010-07-26). "Why The Most Interesting Man in the World Moves More Units Than Old Spice Guy". Fastcompany.com. Retrieved 2010-08-03.
- ^ a b Kate Lunau (2009-08-13). "King of beer sales, amigo". Maclean's. Retrieved 2011-10-18.
- ^ WHATUNEEDTV (2010-10-11). "Jonathan Goldsmith Dos Equis: "The Most Interesting Man" at the 2009 World Music Awards". www.youtube.com. Retrieved 2011-12-24.
- ^ Kathleen Strecker (2012-05-17). "Share ALL the memes! - Coast Weekend: Coastal Life". Coast Weekend. Retrieved 2012-07-25.
- ^ "Campus-themed Internet memes go viral –". Usatoday.com. 2012-02-16. Retrieved 2012-07-25.
- ^ Kaiser, Johanna (2012-04-13). "Massachusetts students use memes to joke about high school - Beverly - Your Town". Boston.com. Retrieved 2012-07-25.
- ^ http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/live-feed/snl-saturday-night-live-joseph-gordon-levitt-video-s373086
External links [edit]
- Dos Equis website
- The Most Interesting Man In the World The original site with comments by the campaign copywriters as well as all the actual videos used in the campaign
