FoxNews.com – The “Most Interesting Man in the World” is moving on.
After nine years of traveling the world, often surrounded by beautiful women, Jonathan Goldsmith, 77, the iconic Dos Equis spokesman, will be retiring later this year.
On Wednesday, Dos Equis, which is owned by Heineken, broke the news with a new 60-second spot that sends the Most Interesting Man on a one-way trip to Mars.
Goldsmith has portrayed the Dos Equis character, famous for the tagline, “I don’t always drink beer, but when I do, I prefer Dos Equis,”since its debut in 2007. The line has spawned dozens of copycat memes and become a ubiquitous pop culture phenomenon.
The brand says the campaign has tripled the business since, with sales of its lager rising over 8 percent in 2015 alone.
So who will fill Goldsmith’s considerably-sized shoes?
The company’s new spokesman but VP of Marketing Andrew Katz says the new person will stay true the brand’s authentic yet aspirational message.
“The essence of the brand is that you need to stay thirsty for life, whatever it is that you’re doing,” Katz told FoxNews.com. In addition to being intelligent, curious and portraying a larger-than-life lifestyle, the new spokesperson “must be witty and very clever.”
Switching actors can be risky for any brand but Katz is hopeful their pick will appeal to the coveted millennial demographic.
“We’re not walking away from the idea of the “Most Interesting Man”– we’re going to be reboot it in a way that’s relevant for today’s drinker so the brand doesn’t get stale,” says Katz, likening the update to the James Bond franchise which has been successful for decades with different actors at the helm.
Dos Equis and other imported beers have experienced record growth in the increasingly crowded beer space. Katz knows that millennials have a lot of different brews to choose from and taste is important. Part of the reboot will help introduce Dos Equis to a new generation so the beer becomes a part of their usual repertoire.
But the brand won’t abruptly abandon Goldsmith. Dos Equis has a social media campaign leading up to Cinco de Mayo using the hashtag #adiosamigo. Customers will have the chance to win some of the Most Interesting Man’s possessions, like his mariachi suit, and even a grand prize trip to Mexico. Fans can pose with life-size cardboard cutouts of Goldsmith that will be distributed to grocery stores and bars later this month.
