Dos Equis has arguably had one of the most iconic marketing campaigns of this millennium with the “Most Interesting Man in the World.”

It starred Jonathan Goldsmith, a man whose blood smelled like cologne, and a winner of the lifetime achievement award—twice. But in March, the Mexican beer brand said no mas to the actor who lived vicariously through himself and decided it was time to move in a new direction, and skew toward a younger demographic.

If Dos Equis wanted to have an awkward moment just to see how it feels, this might be it, because they introduced the second-coming of the retired Goldsmith by way of Augustin Legrand, an actor over 30 years his junior.

Legrand is not reinventing the prodigious characteristics of “the most interesting man”—he’s just adding a contemporary twist of masculinity paired with an edgier and dangerous exuberance in order to appeal to more millennials. So, in case he needs to complete a cross fit or a color run in world record time for the future of the campaign—it actually seems conceivable.

In the feature-film style trailer “Cantina,” the bilingual-bearded Legrand can be seen chopping open a coconut with his bare hand, carrying a piglet through tight quarters and diving into a well to retrieve a soccer ball.

In October, Dos Equis will release a full-length commercial that will illustrate how interesting has changed, and how Legrand will continue to embody the legendary status. It will be coincide with social integrations on Snapchat, including a national lens that will be available on October 22 for College Football Game Day to celebrate Dos Equis’ College Football Playoff sponsorship.

Andrew Katz, the vice president of marketing for Dos Equis, joined [a]listdaily to discuss why Dos Equis decided it was time to drive the brand into a new direction.

Why was it crucial to re-brand the “Most Interesting Man in the World” campaign? What were the deciding factors to going in a different direction?

The ‘Most Interesting Man’ campaign has been incredibly successful and made Dos Equis one of the fastest-growing beer brands in the US. Since its inception, Dos Equis has been planning for this transition, and no matter the consumer, their attitudes and behaviors shift and change. In 2016, character and substance are what make a man interesting. Our research shows that more than three times as many men say it’s their sense of humor (59 percent) that makes them more interesting than their athleticism (17 percent). And nearly twice as many men use the word creative (51 percent) rather than accomplished (30 percent) to define a man who’s interesting. With these new defining characteristics of interesting in mind, Dos Equis evolved the ‘Most Interesting Man’ campaign and a character to reflect the characteristics and values of our target today and to ensure the brand is interesting for today’s drinker. The search for the new character spanned multiple continents and included thousands of auditions. We discovered Augustin Legrand and knew right away he was the one. He’s led an interesting life in his own right and was perfect to portray this iconic, legendary character.

What is the biggest challenge of an undertaking like this and making sure the sequel still reaches viral success?

The ‘Most Interesting Man in the World’ has been a cultural icon for the past nine years, but regardless of the actor, the character has always been greater than the actor who portrays him. The content, substance and strategy behind the campaign are all factors in how Dos Equis is evolving the ‘Most Interesting Man’ and, hopefully, continuing its viral momentum. Part of our strategy is also accompanied by our new visual identity and logo refresh on our packaging, bottles and cans, our first-ever Snapchat campaign and our multi-year sponsorship of the College Football Playoff.

Is Dos Equis considering a “Most Interesting Woman”?

Right now there is not a plan for a Most Interesting Woman. However, there will be an interesting cast of new characters whom the Most Interesting Man will encounter along his journeys.

Drinkers are multicultural and diverse than ever. As a Mexican beer brand, what is the strategy to targeting and reaching consumers? What marketing strategies do you use?

The reality of the drinker base is more multicultural than ever and Spanish-dominant consumers are increasingly important, which is extremely relevant for Dos Equis as Mexican beer. Through the evolution of the ‘Most Interesting Man’ campaign, we’re leaning into our authenticity and embracing our Mexican heritage more than ever. You can see glimpses of how we’re targeting the multicultural consumer in the new trailer. The spot is also narrated in Spanish with English subtitles and takes place in a cantina south of the border.

Augustin Legrand is over 30 years younger than Jonathan Goldsmith, and Dos Equis also has a College Football Playoff sponsorship, with Snapchat plans in store, too. Why are you trying to reach a new, more contemporary audience?

There have been a number of key shifts in the marketplace in the past nine years since the campaign debuted. Everyone is consuming media and culture differently, and the beer category has exploded with new choices. The evolution of the ‘Most Interesting Man’ campaign and a new character is our response to the changing world, ensuring that the brand remains relevant for our consumers. The Dos Equis drinker has many interests, pursuits and tastes in life. As these tastes change, the campaign must evolve to fit the aspirations of a new generation. 

How will Augustin continue to embody the legendary status of Jonathan? What can we expect from his character?

The Most Interesting Man in the World is a legendary character. There will certainly be components of the campaign that remain consistent, such as continuing on with the Most Interesting Man’s ‘legend lines.’ The new Most Interesting Man is more active and adventurous, and we see glimpses of this in the trailer. He will be doing less reminiscing about past glories, and more hands-on adventure seeking.

Why is Snapchat the best social channel to launch this campaign? What does the platform offer that others don’t, and how will you measure the success of the national lens?

Snapchat is the best social channel to launch the campaign because over 45 million consumers 21 and over use it daily to snap with family and friends, watch their Stories, see events from around the world and explore content from top publishers. In terms of measuring success of the national lens, Snapchat partnered with Millward Brown to prove that their Sponsored Filters and Lenses drive more brand awareness, favorability and purchase intent versus mobile norms. Our partners at MediaVest are working with Millward Brown to measure success of these metrics for the campaign, as well as Datalogix to determine direct effect of SnapAds on Dos Equis sales.

What kind of experiential marketing activations can consumers expect in the coming months?

Dos Equis recently announced a historic, multi-year agreement to become the official beer sponsor of the College Football Playoff (CFP). The sponsorship further establishes Dos Equis’ standing in sports, giving the brand a strong platform to drive fan engagement with one of the country’s most exciting and growing franchises. Dos Equis will leverage the CFP to bring unparalleled and interesting experiences to help fans go for ‘Game Day Greatness’ throughout the regular season and Playoff, both at games and at viewing occasions.

There surely will be fans who are not thrilled that Augustin is the new face. How do you monitor the temperature on social channels, and how do you engage with consumers who are not happy about the re-brand?

We’re excited for fans to see Mr. Legrand’s new take on the character. After all, the Most Interesting Man has always represented an ethos more than any one individual person. The actor is obviously important, but at the end of the day, we think that the campaign itself is the thing that people love. We deeply value the opinions of our consumers and we have great resources that monitor the temperature on our social channels and engage with our consumers directly. Our fans can rest assured that any concerns communicated on our social platforms will certainly be heard.

Follow Manouk Akopyan on Twitter @Manouk_Akopyan