Viewers watching Thursday night's Lakers-Cavaliers game on TNT may notice something very interesting—or, rather, someone very interesting. Ad Age reports that a Dos Equis ad will be the farewell promo for Jonathan Goldsmith, aka The Most Interesting Man in the World. The beer brand will send the character, played by the 77-year-old Goldsmith since 2006, on a one-way trip to Mars and swap in a new, still-unnamed actor when the campaign starts up again in the fall. The new campaign—which the brand notes it's trying to make more contemporary and align with its sponsorship of the College Football Playoff—will have "elements that are very, very recognizable, that are super iconic to us, but it will have a very fresh take on things," says Andrew Katz, Dos Equis' VP of marketing.
Ad Age notes Goldsmith's success in the role flouted traditional beer promos, which tended to use young guys living the high life. Young men wouldn't "see him as a threat or as a reminder of accomplishments they hadn't achieved yet" because he was "someone to work toward, vs. a mirror of themselves," an ex-brand director says. That tack led to what the magazine says is "widely viewed as one of the best ad campaigns of the 21st century," which doubled Dos Equis sales between 2006 and 2011. Goldsmith has had ongoing legal troubles involving commissions he allegedly owes, but Katz says that didn't spur the brand's decision, adding they're "incredibly grateful" to the actor. As for the man himself, he's got requests for his new home, which he anticipates TMIMITW will start to "populate" ASAP. "Maybe send word to my friend Sir Richard Branson to arrange for some Thai takeout, a few good books, movies, and fresh flowers. Oh, and a steady supply of adventurous female companions, naturally," Goldsmith tells USA Today. (More on the lawsuit against him.)
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