Only the Most Interesting Man in the World could nab nearly 25,000 Facebook “likes” with a photo of some fireworks at the Statue of Liberty and one sentence: “A cocked eyebrow is all the Declaration of Independence he needs.”
That July 4 post on beer brand Dos Equis’ Facebook page also garnered about 750 comments, most of which had nothing to do with Independence Day. The majority were about the Man himself. Some chimed in with their own bits of lore (“Fireworks watch him”) while others repeated his charismatic catch phrase (“Stay thirsty, my friends”).
The Most Interesting Man has been a key part of Dos Equis’ Facebook presence ever since it’s had one, and given the attention the character continues to snag, he doesn’t seem to be going anywhere.
TV to FB
The Most Interesting Man character made his first TV appearance in 2006. Dos Equis didn’t join Facebook until about two years later, in 2008, and made its first post that December. The Most Interesting Man was part of the Facebook strategy from the beginning. That first post announced the winner of a contest to be the character’s new assistant.
“The Most Interesting Man is a very compelling and inspirational figure for our consumer, and as the campaign has continued to evolve, we’ve taken that opportunity to expand his legend through our Facebook page,” says Dos Equis Brand Manager Ryan Thompson. “We’re constantly looking for new ways to tell the Legend of the Most Interesting Man, as well as expanding our Facebook content into other interesting areas.”
Thompson says the Facebook page’s managers aim to match the straight-faced but ridiculous tone of the TV ads.
“No matter what the topic, content, or medium is, it’s always witty, clever, and entertaining,” he says.
Dos Equis’ advertising agency, Euro RSCG, runs the Facebook page, Thompson says.
“We both actively respond to consumers, as well as monitor the page for any material worth noting,” he says. “Given the brand's philosophy in living interestingly, the brand values our fans feedback and encourages people to express themselves freely.”
Fans love to get involved in helping develop the legend of the Most Interesting Man, Thompson says, with brand “thought starters” routinely drawing hundreds of comments. A recent request for suggestions for the Most Interesting Man’s favorite jam got more than 3,000 answers.
The brand’s Legend Lines app gives fans the opportunity to create lore about the character like the snappy one-liners from the commercials. This year, fans voted on 7,000 submissions in a head-to-head bracket tournament to select the best ones. The winning line went up on a billboard in the winner’s hometown, Thompson says.
Another app, the Most Interesting Academy, “facilitates experiences for our fans so that they, too, can live a more interesting life,” Thompson says. It includes links to articles about travel and do-it-yourself projects, and offers a Stay Thirsty Grant to aspiring adventurers.
Always in moderation
Dos Equis’ brand team makes sure not to overexpose the Most Interesting Man character by making the content about him fresh in each channel, Thompson says. For example, the company filled out historical tidbits about the character on its Facebook timeline. You can’t find those bits—such as the one about him kicking off the Summer of Love in 1967 —anywhere else.
The brand adds variety to its posts so that people don’t get sick of hearing about the Most Interesting Man all the time. People need a break even from him.
“We’re very conscious to not overwhelm our fans with promotional messaging, or repeat the same information,” Thompson says.
One non-Most-Interesting-Man project, the Feast of the Brave, invited people to try tacos with some unusual fillings—shark, snail, cricket, etc.— at food trucks in cities throughout the United States.
“The Feast of the Brave really originated from the Dos Equis’ ongoing annual presence with Cinco de Mayo and the recent surge in popularity of mobile food trucks,” Thompson says.
By the time the promotion ended, the brand had served more than 18,000 tacos in six cities and had gained considerable attention on food blogs and in other media.
The brand also shares updates about its history and just general news, Thompson says.
No end in sight
Though its Facebook page is relatively new, Dos Equis was the first beer brand to reach 1 million fans, Thompson says. A large part of that explosive growth can be attributed to the popularity of the brand’s bearded mascot.
For that reason, Thompson says the Most Interesting Man will be a part of the brand and its Facebook presence for the foreseeable future.
Matt Wilson is a staff writer for Ragan.com.
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