We picked up with the new campaign right where we left off — on social and digital. Our idea was simple – treat the new campaign with the same grandeur, respect, and whimsy that the original campaign exhibited. To do this, we first released a movie trailer-style video to pique interest in the campaign and alert super-fans of the passing of the torch. It was imperative that everything kick off in social and digital to signal a modern shift in the work that would appeal to a millennial audience. The second part of the campaign existed as real-time, custom social responsive messaging to further build the legend of the new MIM and rally the digital community around the new leading man.

The ‘Introducing’ video was released across social, including Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, Twitter, and YouTube to gain maximum reach. Utilizing the brand’s iconic wit and humor, we also created a series of videos ("Embrace the Hate") based on anticipated fan reactions to the unveiling of a new Most Interesting Man. The videos were released as Facebook responses to those who expressed negative feelings about the new MIM to prove that he’s worthy of the title. In order to maximize visibility, responses were issued in real time with around-the-clock social monitoring. Additionally, a series of unlisted videos were posted to YouTube to surprise and delight fans who searched for more information and custom social responses further built the legend of the new MIM. When you put it all together, it's clear that despite a new man, Dos Equis is still the same brand fans have come to know and love.

The campaign earned 1.5 billion impressions in the first 48 hours and a combined 1.2 million organic views on unlisted YouTube videos. There were over 10K likes on custom responses, including “Embrace the Hate,” and an additional 12K views on “Embrace the Hate” videos. Additionally, fans fully supported the new campaign, which was reflected in 96% positive sentiment on Facebook.

Fans had six months of downtime between the original campaign and the new Most Interesting Man, and we used that time to monitor consumer sentiment and reactions to the dramatic shift. We combed through social media comments to inform a consumer journey that went from celebrating the original MIM’s departure to building excitement for the new leading man. We anticipated that fans might be curious, doubtful or worse, angry, so we deployed creative across Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, YouTube, Google, and Twitter to address all forms of consumer feedback. We also had to relate to a wide target audience that included the brand’s original fans (35+) and a new wave of millennial drinkers. No matter who we spoke to, our approach was consistent: maintain the iconic wit and humor that encourages fans to stay thirsty.

Dos Equis said farewell to the Most Interesting Man in the World in 2016, leaving legions of fans with one question – will anyone ever be as interesting as him? We spent the past nine years building one of the most beloved and recognizable campaigns in advertising history, so there was a lot to live up to. Just six months after saying goodbye to the original Most Interesting Man, it was time to introduce the next man to assume the title. The new campaign needed to do two things: keep fans engaged and excited about the prospect of a new Most Interesting Man, and engage a new target of millennial drinkers. We also needed to make it clear that despite debuting a new man, Dos Equis will always encourage fans to stay thirsty.