Heather Taylor
He once cheated death… And death was perfectly okay with it.
The newest Most Interesting Man in the World has arrived with a bang. Formerly portrayed by actor Jonathan Goldsmith (last seen jet setting off to the moon), the latest incarnation of the Dos Equis spokesperson is played by French actor Augustin Legrand.
In the new Havas Worldwide New York commercial, the legend traverses the sand and Serengeti. Some of his impressive feats in the 47-second “Airboat” spot include whittling a football out of a coconut (and kicking it stadium style past a pair of giraffes), slicing a knife in half using another knife, and engaging in an outrageous sand dune race.
He’s younger and scruffier. His tagline has been modified (“Stay thirsty, mis amigos”) and he’s joined by an adventurous female companion, but the enigmatic gent is still full of edgy mystique. And it taps into the character’s evolution for millennials well. As Toygar Bazarkaya, Chief Creative Officer of the Americas at Havas says, “The new Most Interesting Man is a man of action. He's never one to reminisce on times past, which stylistically changes everything. With a faster pace and more energy, we're reinvigorating and modernizing one of the greatest campaigns.”
What’s the ad world’s take on the new Most Interesting Man anyway? Prior to the commercial’s release, I caught up with the industry’s best and brightest for their thoughts on what they’d like to see the icon do next. Intimately aware he has a legend that precedes him (such as being allowed to touch art in museums and how people hang on his every word, even his prepositions), here are the experiences they’d like to see the spokescharacter tackle.
Sweep the 2016 Election
“[He] will announce his bid as a write-in candidate for the U.S. presidency. Political analysts say he has the charisma of Kennedy and Reagan-like wit, he is unstoppable. The Augustin Legrand campaign captivates the public’s eye. Will he take the presidency?” — Christina Oswald, Digital Marketing Analyst, Moncur
Win the new space race
“The Most Interesting Man will beat Elon Musk to Mars using lost designs imagined by Leonardo da Vinci. The spacecraft will be built of timber, iron and an old hot air balloon. He will bring a Cheetah with him for company. Because he has to out-interesting the world's real most interesting man.” — Sean MacPhedran, Senior Content Strategist, SMITH
Focus on doing good while looking good
“I think the new guy will be ‘crunchier’ and more focused on doing good. He'll ride a corporate trend of doing well while doing good. He'll have a bit of a nonprofity feel at times. He'll still be attractive and edgy and funny.” — Barak Kassar, Partner, BKW Partners
Break the internet — and then buy it
“He will negotiate a lasting peace in the Middle East. And then foment a political revolution in the Midwest. He will rekindle the declining bee population in just one romantic evening. Mt. Everest will add him to its bucket list. He will get a ticket to mars, as a layover. He’ll break the Internet, and then buy it.” — “The Writer’s Room” at Brownstein Group
Whatever happens, no memes please
“My one request to Dos Equis, please don’t use DJ Khaled. We’ve all moved on.” — Jamie Delaney, Senior Copywriter, Moncur
Stay thirsty for more commercial spots to come, mis amigos.