There was considerable hype for who might next play Dos Equis’ iconic ‘Most Interesting Man in the World’ character. Jonathan Goldsmith retired from the role earlier this year and rampant speculation suggested Dos Equis would go big with his replacement. The beer company announced it would unveil the new version of the character on SportsCentre. Would a sports star replace him? Peyton Manning? Brett Favre? Broadway Joe Namath? No. It turns out Dos Equis went off the board bringing in French actor Augustin Legrand.
*record scratch*
It’s a bold choice for Dos Equis. The company opted to go with a relative unknown over an experienced, more famous choice.
Legrand’s first commercial is entirely in Spanish. A bartender asks him “think anyone will ever be as interesting as him?” as Goldsmith appears on a TV. LeGrand grins and a montage plays of him doing incredible things such as running with a pig, exploring the wilderness Tomb Raider style and getting out of a spacecraft. He’s interesting.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=34&v=8KqjvM7r2xY
Legrand looks like a cross between Goldsmith and Michael Phelps. Legrand is 36 years younger than Goldsmith as Dos Equis is making a push towards a younger audience.
The company said in a statement Legrand’s version of ‘The Most Interesting Man’ is an evolution of the character.
“The meaning of ‘interesting’ has evolved over the past decade, and this campaign features a new character and look and feel that opens the door to a world of interesting possibilities for today’s Dos Equis drinker,” Andrew Katz, vp of marketing for Dos Equis, said in a statement. “With the reboot of the campaign, we’re celebrating the good times The Most Interesting Man has with friends wherever he travels, while highlighting our refreshing cerveza. In the coming weeks, fans will have the opportunity to get to know the new character in a uniquely interactive way.”
It’s not going to be easy for Dos Equis to replace Goldsmith. Fans are already conflicted with the move, as the latest ad on YouTube has 205 dislikes compared to just 710 likes. Comments with the hashtag #bringbackJonathanGoldsmith have also been posted.
Dos Equis has balls bringing in a complete unknown. He’s got incredibly interesting shoes to fill.
[Adweek]
