Why That Bitwise Commercial Looks & Feels So Familiar

Bitwise's latest advertisement is taking cues from a classic commercial. 

Not even ads are immune from legacy sequels these days. As nostalgia continues to be mined throughout the entertainment world, ad agencies are taking notes, repackaging, and recreating old commercials to tug at our heartstrings and memories. The latest commercial for Bitwise Asset Management, a crypto index fund manager, is no different. In the finance company's latest advertisement, a familiar elderly gentleman is enjoying a nice conversation, before breaking the fourth wall by saying, "You know what's interesting these days? Bitcoin." 

We then cut to a close-up of the gentleman, who says, "Look for Bitwise, my friends," directing viewers to the fund manager. If that whole sequence sounds familiar, that's because it's pretty much a beat-for-beat copy of Dos Equis' "Most Interesting Man in the World" commercial, which debuted in 2006. In that commercial, an elderly gentleman is bantering with bar mates and breaks the fourth wall by pitching the beer as his drink of choice, ending with, "Stay thirsty, my friends." The Bitwise Asset Management ad is a direct homage to that iconic advertisement and even features the same famous commercial actor, Jonathan Goldsmith. 

For Bitwise Asset Management, this advertisement is a major push toward being a leading player in the financial market. Their rendition of the advertisement ends with the tagline: "ETFs backed by crypto specialists," legitimizing their efforts. Forbes says that Bitwise Asset Management is awaiting approval from the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission to debut a spot Bitcoin ETF. 

For fans of the original "Most Interesting Man in the World" commercial, this is a faithful homage that doesn't steer away from the original's brilliance. While it no doubt relies on nostalgia, the advertisement is effective and parts of it are self-aware. A lengthier version of the Bitwise Asset Management commercial features another actor trying to do Johnathan Goldsmith's shtick. It, of course, doesn't have the same appeal, which compels the commercial's director to seek out Goldsmith himself to add weight to the ad. It's a fun and cheeky way of expanding the purpose and lore behind the Bitwise ad. 

Getting Goldsmith on board must have certainly been exciting for the company. After all, the actor was thrust into popularity overnight after the original Dos Equis ad debuted, which helped sales go up by 22%, according to Macleans. Now, over a decade later, it still stands out as a masterwork in marketing. For Goldsmith, the OG ad was a career and life-changer that he's still thankful for. "I had been a journeyman actor starring in over 350 shows, but I was a working actor, I did alright, but I really didn't have the recognition," the actor told Fox Business. "When this campaign hit and it developed, it was just wonderful. It got better and bigger and more doors opened."

Since that initial Dos Equis stint, audiences have seen the actor in several other ads, including commercials for Astral Tequila. You've also seen the actor in the Meryl Streep-starring musical "Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again."