How The Pandemic Inspired Dos Equis To Think Outside Of The Box

What a difference a decade makes. During the early 2010s, The Most Interesting Man in the World helped make Dos Equis one of the most talked-about brands. If you owned a television at all during the decade, then you know what we're talking about. Just hearing the sentence "I don't always drink beer, but when I do, I prefer Dos Equis," paints a vivid mental picture of the Dos Equis commercials of yore: Jonathan Goldsmith jumping off a cliff, exploring a rainforest, bathing with arctic monkeys. The first commercial in Goldsmith's now-viral ad campaign aired in 2006 and contributed to a 15.4% rise in Dos Equis sales in 2009, according to Cigar Aficionado. That year, the Mexican-made Dos Equis was reportedly dubbed the "fastest-growing import in the U.S."

Alas, the commercials ended after 2015 like a beautiful sunset, and now The Most Interesting Man in the World lives on as a legendary meme template. Admittedly, it's been tough for the beer brand to get back on its feet since then. Like so many of us, Dos Equis set out to reinvent itself after the world shut down a few years ago – and it appears to be working. Here's how the pandemic inspired Dos Equis to think outside of the box, presumably in an effort to become the most interesting brand in the world.

At the onset of the pandemic in 2020, says Food Dive, sales of Dos Equis (now owned by Heineken) saw a shocking 40% drop, kind of all at once. But, Ligia Patrocinio, head of Dos Equis at Heineken U.S.A., says the company is grateful for the obstacle. In fact, Patrocinio calls the pandemic a "wake-up call" for Dos Equis. After a 5% sales drop in 2018 and a 3% drop in 2019, the minds behind Dos Equis resolved to breathe new life into the visibly "tired" 125-year-old beer line. The result was a total brand overhaul: fresh packaging and a new slogan that simply dares, "Get a Dos."

In addition to a cosmetic facelift, the brand also revamped its offerings, expanding into the realm of non-beer products. In August, Dos Equis rolled out a canned margarita with a 10% ABV and genuine Jalisco tequila, and it seems like fans' only complaint is that it didn't happen sooner. Thrillist called it "the best canned cocktail we've tasted" and said that "it tastes like a real drink." Now, it looks like the company is back on track and chugging full steam ahead into the future. Last year, Dos Equis reported volume growth for the first time since 2016. Like that interesting man said, "Stay thirsty, my friends." And judging by Dos Equis' comeback, it looks like his friends are listening.