The Most Interesting Campaign In The World

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By creating a no-name, silver haired mystery-man, Dos Equis’ branding has found a new genre of storytelling  that creates a following looking to jump on the bandwagon of the most interesting man in the world.

How often do we see AARP members hawking products with a target demo of 20- and 30-somethings?  Seems like an odd and misplaced strategy, but the now infamous and ongoing Dos Equis campaign has done just that.  ESPN Sportscenter talkies quote his heroic tales when colorfully giving us the days sports highlights.  One daily comment of his heroics on the Dos Equis Facebook page is quickly followed by hundreds of comments mimicking the “most interesting man in the world”, creating yet another platform for the brand to go viral within the exploding social media world.

The Dos Equis campaign began three years ago in a few regional markets mostly clustered in the southwest.  The message caught on so quickly that the Mexican-based beer company quickly gained distribution deals throughout the United States, with sales soaring month over month.  At the moment, there seems to be no end in sight to the tales of a man who, we are told, has a house that looks like the Myans built it, because they did.

Branding campaigns typically take more of a straight line between their product or service and the brand itself.  Dos Equis has set fire to that concept by creating a character who seems to have much more interesting things on his agenda but, after a day of swimming with the sharks, always seems to have time for a relaxing gathering with beautiful people hanging on his every word, and of course a Dos Equis.

While the campaign has certainly captivated millions, there is a great lesson in the genius of the campaign itself.  Branding messages typically stray very little from the simple message of the features and benefits of their products.  Dos Equis has discovered that by creating an enormously popular character who in turn prefers the Dos Equis brand, the tidal wave of people jumping on “the most interesting bandwagon” does the branding for them.  A recent article on Slate analyzes this campaign further and is well worth the read.  Branding can have a humorous edge and create a following in the most unexpected ways.

For more on this unique campaign, check out the May Slate article here.

To talk to someone about the difference-making value of a brand for your business, contact us today by e-mail or phone, 903-534-5220.