On Strategy Showcase

Episode: Dos Equis' Most Interesting Man In the World is Back (March 8, 2026)

Host: Fergus O’Carroll
Guests:

• Jim Curtis, Chief Creative Officer, LePubre (Publicis)
• Matt Saltzstein, VP Brand Marketing, Dos Equis / Heineken USA

Episode Overview

This episode explores the highly anticipated return of Dos Equis' iconic "Most Interesting Man in the World" campaign. Host Fergus O’Carroll is joined by Jim Curtis (LePubre, agency) and Matt Saltzstein (Heineken) to dissect why the campaign ended, how the decision was made to bring it back, the strategy behind the relaunch, and what it takes to revive a beloved advertising property in a new era. They delve into creative, strategic, and business lessons learned, offering behind-the-scenes insights into resurrecting one of beer advertising’s modern legends.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. The Original Campaign’s Impact and Legacy

• Origins & Success: Ran from 2006 to 2016. Propelled Dos Equis from 57th to approximately 19th–20th in US beer market share.
• Brand Iconography: The "Most Interesting Man" became a salient, meme-worthy pop culture icon.
• End of Campaign: Despite its significance, the campaign ended as the brand sought fresh growth amid slowing numbers, eventually settling at a flat 1% US market share for years.

Quote (Jim Curtis):
"I think it's one of the most iconic ad campaigns of all time. ... When I was studying advertising, I had a CD of the best, most interesting man lines in my car." (10:43)

2. Why Did the Campaign Stop?

• Leadership tried to evolve the campaign to keep it fresh, changing actors and executions, but later felt the brand lost some of its core "interesting" essence.
• Lost sight of brand’s central promise, drifting from what made Dos Equis distinctive.

Quote (Matt Saltzstein):
"...in the course of trying to evolve the most interesting man and... the advertising, we had lost a little bit of sight of our brand essence and what really made us who we were." (13:44)

3. The Case for Bringing Back the Character

• Research-Backed Decision: Consumer testing showed over 50% could link the character to Dos Equis without brand cues; the old ads scored in the 97th percentile for recall.
• Consumer Demand: Over 80% of those surveyed expressed a desire to see the character return.
• Cultural Relevance: The character persisted online through memes and references, demonstrating ongoing salience.

Quote (Matt Saltzstein):
"About over 80% of consumers... wanted that character to come back. Different reasons for it, but a lot of it was the humor and the entertainment..." (17:28)

4. The Creative Approach—Updating for 2026

• Strategy: Remix recognisable campaign assets (actor, voiceover, music, lines) for contemporary relevance.
• Modern Storytelling: The new narrative finds the character having suffered amnesia, living a mundane suburban life—becoming the "least most interesting man in the world" before reclaiming his status.
• Humor and Self-awareness: Playing with nostalgia while making the return feel fresh and self-aware.

Quote (Jim Curtis):
"All we needed to do was remix [the campaign ingredients] in a way that brought them across in a fresh way, but also kind of brought them into 2026." (15:50)

5. Behind the Scenes: Re-casting Jonathan Goldsmith & Will Lyman

• Re-engaging Goldsmith: His wife (original agent) asserted that only a man with life experience could credibly play the role; Goldsmith himself continues to receive fan mail and remains enthusiastic.
• Will Lyman’s Voice: Considered nearly as crucial as Goldsmith; his narration is integral to the campaign’s humor and gravitas.

Quote (Jim Curtis):
"If we didn't have [Will Lyman], I would have cried... Jonathan's probably just slightly more important in the ingredients. But Will is right there." (25:07)

6. Writing for the Most Interesting Man

• Vast Volume of Lines: The team creates a large volume of lines, testing which work best aurally—Lyman’s delivery is key.
• Rule of Subjectivity: Success often comes down to instinct for which lines will land.

Quote (Jim Curtis):
"There are some lines that just work better than others, and you don't know why, you know. ... We actually wrote a character bible... but there was a final rule... use your gut." (32:09)

7. Leveraging Old and New Assets

• Mixture of Old and New: Some classic executions return, but lines referencing current culture (e.g., "his phone is addicted to him") bring freshness.
• Vignette Format: Allows flexibility to recombine scenes and voiceovers.

8. Social & Experiential Rollout

• Social-First Strategy: Built real online personas (e.g., LinkedIn, Instagram profiles) for the character in his “least interesting” phase to stoke intrigue.
• Experiential: Plans for real-world appearances leverage Goldsmith’s charisma.

Quote (Matt Saltzstein):
"In that first phase, we spent a lot of time, the least, most interesting man, giving him Personas like he had a LinkedIn profile, he had his own Instagram profile, he was involved in conversations. ... He was a real person online for that, for that week." (37:19)

9. Key Takeaways for Marketers

• Value of Distinctive Assets: Stay laser-focused on a brand’s unique properties—walking away from them is risky.
• Strategic Consistency: Iconic devices ("fluent devices") like the Most Interesting Man and Red X’s are irreplaceable.
• Entertainment and Relatability: Advertising that entertains remains powerful, especially when it makes a brand’s story relatable and worth talking about.

Quote (Matt Saltzstein):
"Pay attention... truly understanding your one or two distinctive assets and making sure that you're laser focused on using them..." (39:12)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• "That's how insane I am about just listening to the audio. My friends honestly thought that I'd lost my mind... I was like, no, this is it. This is, this is, this is the good stuff."
  — Jim Curtis (11:15)

• "It felt a little bit like trying to market Frosted Flakes without telling the tiger."
  — Matt Saltzstein (39:25)

• “Stay varnished, my friends.”
  — Spot line, parodying the original “Stay thirsty” catchphrase (29:07)

• “I don't always iron my socks. Oh wait, I do always iron my socks. Stay wrinkle free, my friends.”
  — Spot line, giving the amnesiac, boring version of the character (30:05)

• "He once won a staring competition with the Sun."
  — Spot line—exaggerated, classic-style humor (32:37)

• "We actually wrote a character bible. ... But there was a final rule in the Bible, which is, this is all subjective. ... Use your gut."
  — Jim Curtis (32:10)

Timestamps for Key Segments

• 05:21 – Original and new campaign spot montage
• 06:33 – Dos Equis brand health & US market position
• 09:26 – Post-2016 performance and campaign end
• 10:43 – Creative legacy and impact of original campaign
• 13:44 – Brand drift and loss of “interesting” essence
• 14:48 – Agency thinking behind bringing the campaign back
• 16:49 – Making the case internally to revive the character
• 17:28 – Research on character salience and consumer desire
• 21:04 – Reconnecting with Jonathan Goldsmith
• 25:07 – Will Lyman’s role as voiceover artist
• 28:39 – “Stay yogurty, my friends”—creative process on new lines
• 29:18 – Sample spots showing the "least interesting man"
• 32:09 – How lines are written/tested; subjectivity in what works
• 34:19 – Old work vs. new work: remixing classic material
• 37:19 – Social-first approach and experiential plans
• 38:27 – Super Bowl spot “if the networks paid us” (playful media stunt)
• 39:12 – Takeaways: the power of distinctive brand assets

Final Takeaway

This episode is a fascinating, candid look into reviving a legendary campaign. The Dos Equis team and their agency recognized that effective strategy often means not abandoning what is truly unique—but remixing it for new audiences and eras. The "Most Interesting Man" does not just return as an artifact; he is reimagined for today's culture and platforms, balancing nostalgia with relevance—an object lesson in enduring brand value.