After a Decade, Dos Equis’ Original Most Interesting Man in the World Returns

(Photo: Dos Equis)

Dos Equis announced on Friday that it is reviving one of advertising’s most recognizable characters, announcing the return of The Most Interesting Man in the World after nearly a decade off screen.

The character, portrayed by actor Jonathan Goldsmith, will reappear as part of a new “Stay Thirsty” campaign launching with a 45-second television spot during Monday night’s college football championship broadcast. The campaign marks the first time Dos Equis has used the character since the original run ended in 2016.

Dos Equis says the new effort will roll out through a mix of television, digital and experiential marketing. The brand confirmed that Goldsmith will again deliver the character’s best-known line: “I don’t always drink beer, but when I do, I prefer Dos Equis.”

The original campaign ran from 2006 to 2016 and helped make The Most Interesting Man in the World a fixture in pop culture. According to the brand, more than half of beer drinkers still associate the character with Dos Equis based on imagery alone. Dos Equis also said internal research showed strong recall for the original ads, though those figures were not independently verified.

“We knew the public thirst was massive: Our research found that 83% of people exposed to the original campaign wanted to see it return, and the old ads drove an incredible 97th percentile brand recall in recent testing,” Heineken USA CMO Alison Payne said in a news release.

The new campaign keeps the “Stay Thirsty” tagline but shifts the focus toward stories and experiences rather than just humor-driven one-liners, Dos Equis says, adding that the updated messaging aims to connect with consumers who feel stuck in routine. The brand cited a recent Talker Research study that found one in four Americans feel trapped in mundane daily patterns.

You can view the ad spot below:

In early January, Dos Equis began teasing the character’s return without showing branding. Short videos featured a lookalike figure dubbed “The Least Most Interesting Man,” performing dull tasks such as ironing socks and building ships in bottles. The teasers relied on familiar music and visual cues to spark recognition before the official reveal.

The storyline in the championship game ad centers on the character rediscovering his identity after spotting a Dos Equis in his refrigerator. From there, the campaign expands into live events and future commercials.

As part of the relaunch, Dos Equis plans to host a “Sailgate” event in Miami ahead of the college football title game. The brand said the gathering will include a mix of entertainers and athletes, including Gabrielle Union, Fuerza Regida, Oz Pearlman and Miles Chamley-Watson, along with additional guests.

Dos Equis expects the character to remain part of its marketing throughout 2026. Future ads are scheduled to air during major sports broadcasts, including another football game on Jan. 25. The brand said upcoming spots will feature both unseen moments from the character’s past and new scenarios built for current audiences.

Dos Equis was founded in 1897 by brewer Wilhelm Haase and is now imported in the U.S. by HEINEKEN USA. Its current lineup includes Dos Equis Lager, Ambar, Michelada, and Lager Lime & Salt.