What You Don't Know About The New Most Interesting Man
For almost 10 years, Dos Equis has been engaging beer consumers with its "Most Interesting Man in the World" campaign—a viral series of commercials featuring an elegant old man sitting in the corner of a dark bar, recalling mind-blowing life adventures from the good ol' days. The videos' witty lines are the stuff of internet stardom, and it's made 77-year-old American actor Jonathan Goldsmith a pop culture celebrity (to put it lightly). But in an effort to attract a younger audience, Dos Equis recently passed the prestigious "MIM" mantle to a younger actor, Augustin Legrand. In his debut, Legrand's take on the "MIM" delivers a contemporary tweak to the legendary persona. But who is this new man of mystery? Here are some pointers about Legrand and his updated version of Dos Equis' Most Interesting Man.
He's a more modern Most Interesting Man
At 41, Legrand is more than 30 years younger than Goldsmith, and is being branded as a modern take on the "MIM." The new commercials highlight the contrast right away: the previous version basked in past glories while vintage video footage played of his adventures, but Legrand seems to show a more presently action-oriented man of mystery. Think of it like picking Daniel Craig's James Bond over an older Sean Connery. "The new Most Interesting Man is a man of our times," Dos Equis tells Ad Week, "and in this first glimpse, he shares hints of being a resourceful, rough and tumble guy, who remains a jack-of-all-trades hero that one would expect from the man bearing this infamous title."
He speaks three languages
Legrand is a French actor who hails from Neuville-aux-Bois and boasts a trilingual skill set, speaking French, English and Spanish. Wow, take a breather for a moment. It's interesting to note that in his Dos Equis debut, Legrand's first commercial line is actually in Spanish—and the beer brand tells USA Today there's a reason for that. "We're trying to reach a new audience," says Andrew Katz, vice president of marketing for the brewery. "The reality of the drinker base is it's much more multicultural than ever. And Spanish-dominant consumers are increasingly important."
Muy bien, as they say.
He will be introduced by the same Dos Equis narrator
While there's a new Most Interesting Man, the brand still plans on introducing the video commercials with the same narrator. Will Lyman provided introductions for all the previous campaign videos—he's the guy who utters ridiculous claims about the MIM like "At museums, he's allowed to touch the art" and "He can slam a revolving door." Lyman was chosen to keep the familiar voice going forward in Legrand's era, according to Ad Age. "We feel he is an important part of the campaign," said Dos Equis Brand Manager of Marketing Andre Woldt. "And while we want to evolve what interesting means today, I think a few [tenets] of the brand are very important to keep."
He's a lawyer-turned-screen star
Before he became the new Most Interesting Man, Legrand studied tax law at the University Pantheon-Assas (he now holds a Masters degree in that subject, in case you were wondering). But by a weird turn of fate, Legrand was bitten by the acting bug and enrolled at French drama school Cours Florent in Paris. He's since been featured on the big and small screen in French pictures like Anna, Les Loups and Odysseus.
He has the heart of an activist
As proof of his impressive moral character, Legrand is also the co-founder of the Children of Don Quixote, an organization dedicated to raising awareness of France's homeless population. The company has even gone as far as installing 100 illegal red tents on the banks of the Siene in 2006, before cold weather hit. Legrand used his film talents to direct a documentary on the topic called Enfants de Don Quichotte, which received an Amnesty Award nomination at the Copenhagen International Documentary Festival. Did we mention he's also been elected regional councillor for Ile-de-France for the Europe Ecology-Green party?
He's a Bernie Sanders supporter
The new Most Interesting Man of the World has been known to be an admirer of American politician Bernie Sanders, and has gone on the social media record with words of support for the onetime Democratic presidential candidate. "Sanders is one of the good reasons not to despair for the future," Legrand tweeted in French in March. Bern down for what, right? Legrand follows in the footsteps of Goldsmith, who expressed support for the Democratic party and Barack Obama in 2012.