Here's the reason these ads don't work for me: Dos Equis is from a land of mystery in the first place. Even it's name is in a language that I largely don't understand. There's a lot I feel like I should know about Hispanic or Mexican culture, but don't.

When I saw these ads, I thought "Oh, man, everybody in Mexico must know who this guy is, and probably lots of Americans who pay attention to international culture. The fact like I don't recognize him makes me feel 1) dumb and 2) like an outsider."

This turns me off to the beer because the clear message is that I'm not the intended audience since I don't recognize the spokesman. It's the same feeling I get when I see an ad for golf clubs and don't recognize the golfer: "Who's that guy? I guess I don't know because I don't play golf. Which explains why I won't be buying these clubs."