DOS EQUIS

            The advertisement method I want to address is that of Dos Equis. These commercials portray “the most interesting man in the world.” The link below will take you to the commercial in particular that I will be talking about. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L-4zfsy6rsM&safe=active

            It starts by showing this “man” climb out from a whole cut in the ice carrying fish in each hand. Not only did he swim in freezing cold water but he was able to overcome the intense cold to concentrate and catch fish with no other tools than his hands.  Then next scene flashes to him walking out of a room in a train car wiping his mouth. The camera pans over and two attractive ladies are sitting there giggling to themselves. I wonder what they were just doing. Next scene he is flirting with royalty while playing with artifacts. Fourth scene he is on the side of a mountain saving stranded eagles. Finally in the last cut he is sitting around with attractive women and drinking beer.

            There it is. Over 30 seconds into the commercial until the product being advertised even is mentioned. At first that seems like a bad strategy. Wouldn’t you want to push the product? Wouldn’t you want it to stick in the viewer’s head? The answer is yes. Then how do you explain the words “Dos Equis” only being said once during the entire commercial. The advertising team only devotes five seconds to the product.

            The answer is that they are not selling a product. They are selling an idea, a hope, a dream. This man is super manly. He endures freezing temperatures and uses only his body to do difficult tasks. He is successful with ladies, being able to entertain multiple at one time. He is able to have special privileges that normal men could only dream of. And to top it off he has a compassionate side. The average man will look on in envy. But wait at the end it is discovered what beer he drinks. Dos Equis is the link between the average Joe and “the most interesting man in the world.” It doesn’t seem like much but it offers hope. The commercial devotes the majority of the air time on setting up the ideal man that anyone in their right minds would love to be able to emulate. Everyone wants to be interesting and cool. The actual advertisement of the product comes second to this first goal.

            Everyman has insecurities. There is the fear of being uncool, the fear of being unattractive, and the fear of not being successful. This list could go on and on. What Dos Equis is trying to say is that if you drink this beer, you can be all of these things. The Bible offers an alternative way to look at things. Ephesians 2:10 states “For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.”  People shouldn’t fear who they are. They were made by God. They were made for a purpose and given everything they need to do the most important thing in life, serve God. Dos Equis preys on men who lack confidence in themselves and desire to be someone else. Scripture tells us that we can rejoice in who we are.

            With this being said, I can say that I still love these commercials. They are funny and they really do create a sense of envy. That guy is cool. I do not drink, but if someone asked me my favorite beer I would hands down say Dos Equis simply on the premise of their commercials. Even after looking closer at what they are really doing, I am still not immune to their methods.