Monday, June 1, 2009

The Most Interesting Man in the World

Since they first appeared on the radio in 2007, I've been a huge fan of Dos Equis' Most Interesting Man in the world.

The Dos Equis campaign, as most of you know, captures the Most Interesting Man's witty advice, colorful commentary and incredulous tales of past experiences. According to Dos Equis' advertising agency, Euro RSCG Worldwide, the Most Interesting Man's unmatched suave and distinguished charisma appeals to the key Dos Equis consumer — adult men who live or aspire to live "interesting" lives. Indeed.

I remember laughing out loud when I heard some of the one-liners from the original (and still best) spots:
  • When it is raining, it is because he thought of something sad.
  • Even his parrot's advice is insightful.
  • His shirts never wrinkle.
  • He is left-handed. And right-handed.
  • The police often question him, just because they find him interesting.
  • He once punched a magician. That's right. You heard me.
  • On every continent in the world, there is a sandwich named after him.
  • His pillow talk is years ahead of its time.
  • His cereal never gets soggy. It sits there, staying crispy, just for him.
And my absolute favorite:
  • When he orders a salad, he gets the dressing right there on top of the salad, where it belongs…where there is no turning back.
All culminating, of course, with Dos Equis' signature closing: "Stay thirsty my friends."

It's the funniest thing I've heard on the radio since Bud Light's original "Real American Heroes"/"Real Men of Genius."

Nor am I alone in loving the Most Interesting Man. According to Millward Brown study cited in an April 2007 PRNewsWire report, the Dos Equis' campaign "is in the top five percent of most enjoyable ads in U.S. research history, posturing the Most Interesting Man to become pop culture's next brand-recognized advertising icon."

Check out some of this great radio writing in this animation executed for the supporting website at www.staythirstymyfriends.com.


Thankfully, a series of TV spots have followed up on this brilliant radio campaign and have expanded the character without making him silly. All of these spots are tied-in to the campaign microsite, www.staythirstymyfriends.com, where you can test your skill in patience and strength (by arm wrestling Mao, Churchill, Stalin, or our most interesting man), apply to become the most interesting man in the world’s personal assistant (the previous one died on the job) and view various photos with our host performing assorted "manly" feats. You can see the seven current TV spots below:

The Most Interesting Man


...on Packages


...on Mixed Nuts


...on Careers


Snooker


...on Rollerblading


...on Life


These spots were created by Euro RSCG Worldwide (by Simon Nickson and Laura Fegley, the Art Director/Copywriter duo) with Jeff Kling as Creative Director. Steve Miller directed the spots with @radical media. And for those interested in the man himself? The Most Interesting Man In The World is played by Jonathan Goldsmith (who I should've recognized from all those appearances on my childhood favorites, Knight Rider, Fall Guy, MacGyver...). FB

2 comments:

how to ollie said...

Excellent post and writing style. Bookmarked.

Anonymous said...

Helpful blog, bookmarked the website with hopes to read more!