The Most Interesting Man In The World Is Back
At least in AI
Somewhere along the line, the YouTube channel Abandoned Films switched from making way more interesting movie trailers to resurrecting the old Dos Equis campaign and taking it to more stereotypical levels when it comes to nationalities, tropes and identities.
For those who aren’t familiar with The Most Interesting Man In The World, it was also a, let’s say, pastiche of Chuck Norris Facts, an old internet meme that satirized the actor’s masculinity by taking it to absurd levels, i.e. “When Chuck Norris does push-ups he doesn’t push himself up, he pushes the earth down.”
This is one example of the original campaign.
It could have run forever which is, of course, why they shifted gears and replaced the well-lived (older) man with a dude half his age, falsely believing that in order to attract younger consumers they had to get rid of the old guy.
Dos Equis, hoping for a seamless transition, likened the move to picking a new actor to play James Bond, but it has put the brand in the awkward position of explaining why the previous Most Interesting Man in the World was no longer interesting enough.
The reboot went over like a lead balloon. I can’t tell you the last Dos Equis commercial I’ve seen.
*goes to YouTube*
Apparently, Dos Equis is now product porn and a BBQ. In other words, the least interesting thing a beer brand could do.
At least the original brilliant campaign is back. or the AI version of it, anyway. The voice clone is perfect. The jokes are great. The “actor” not so much. Or I should say actors, because an older version shows up at the end. So there are are two most interesting men, unless one is supposed to be the current one looking back on his life or something.
This has the usual AI tics: weird clothes (how does one wear a bowtie when one’s shirt is unbuttoned?) voice sync problems, uncanny valley smiles and…whatever is going on with this woman’s face on the right.
But the 8MM treatment helps mask most of it.
More importantly, the person making this is now using the template to skewer people, nationalities and identities in straight up zero fucks given comedy. It’s an equal opportunity offender so if you are easily offended, don’t watch, or only watch the ones that support your confirmation bias.
My Brazilian art director friends will appreciate this one.
“He doesn’t walk. He sways.”
The most Reddit Man in the world. “He doesn’t have a girlfriend, but he moderates a subreddit about them.”
The Most English Man In the world. “When he called the police on an illegal immigrant assaulting a lady, he was arrested instead.”
Whoever is making these is paying attention to the culture and the knives are out. I hope whoever it is works in advertising because I would absolutely hire them.
Watch all of them here.