The Unexpected Rise and Agonizing Fall of Dos Equis' 'Most Interesting Man'

One random morning in 2006, Karl Lieberman and Brandon Henderson were scrambling to come up with a new advertising idea for Dos Equis, the Mexican beer they’d been working on—fruitlessly—for months.

The Euro RSCG creative pair were tired of working on the brand. They couldn’t seem to sell anything through. And a new insight that a planner named Caroline Krediet had brought to them—suggesting men in their 20s are generally desperate to seem more interesting than they are—felt borderline insulting.

So, they decided to make fun of the brief. Little did they know what would become of their sarcastic idea for a “Most Interesting Man in the World.”

In Episode 1 of our new podcast Tagline, we trace the history of the “Most Interesting Man” campaign, and talk to many of the folks who made it happen—from the agency to the client side to the man himself, Jonathan Goldsmith.

Listen above, or subscribe to the show wherever you get your podcasts. And below, check out some of the work mentioned in the episode.

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Episode 1 guests:

• Brandon Henderson, group creative director, Wieden + Kennedy
• Caroline Krediet, founder, Imp Strategy
• Jeff Kling, founder and chief creative officer, Lightning Orchard
• Jonathan Goldsmith, actor
• Karl Lieberman, chief creative officer, Wieden + Kennedy
• Lisa Pfenning, vice president Americas, Bacardi Rum Portfolio
• Mary Perhach, president, ‎SwellShark
• Steve Miller, director, Radical Media
• Willem Jan Van der Hoeven, former U.S. brand director, Dos Equis
• Will Lyman, voice actor

The TV launch spot from April 2007

An advice spot from the launch campaign

The radio work for launch

Applications to be the Most Interesting Man’s assistant were placed in bars

On the website, the Man was never at his desk—as he was always out being interesting

Jonathan Goldsmith’s last spot as the Most Interesting Man in 2016