Few TV icons of the ’80s and ’90s embody heroism and failure quite like David Hasselhoff. As Michael Knight he saved the world from dark forces, as Mitch Buchannon he saved people from drowning. Sometime later, when most of the money from the two US series “Knight Rider” and “Baywatch” had gone through and fame was slowly fading, David Hasselhoff had to save himself as a heavy alcoholic. But: “The Hoff”, as he and his fans call himself, kept picking himself up.
For those who used to turn on RTL after school, it may be a bitter-sweet mixture of shame and nostalgic admiration when they review Hasselhoff’s last years. “The Hoff” is making money off its name. Just like Trump, Snoop Dogg or Harald Glööckler. There’s next to nothing that “The Hoff” didn’t promote. cruises on the Mediterranean Sea, water bubbler, a summer song with the singer Blümchen. Or a federal government vaccination campaign. Recently, this list is now one item richer.
For the Lower Bavarian town of Landau an der Isar, he has been promoting the soon-to-be-launched wine festival since the weekend. For some, the fact that there are also wine festivals in Lower Bavaria may be more surprising than that Hasselhoff lends his face to one of them. But for Matthias Kohlmayer, the mayor of the city, is with the 39-second video a long-cherished wish has come true.
Last year, the 36-year-old mayor had already booked Lothar Matthäus via a corresponding platform on the Internet in order to record a small video message for his town hall employees, who were plagued by the lockdown. He recently found himself in quarantine. “I was bored and I had my laptop open. Suddenly I was flooded with advertising that David Hasselhoff could now also be booked.”
The video cost 450 euros – but could now be expensive
Kohlmayer, a “Knight Rider” fan since childhood, didn’t let the opportunity pass. For 450 euros, which he paid out of his own pocket, he ordered the video from the platform. However, as he now asserts, it was all just meant for fun. Just like Matthew did. Two days after the order was placed, the video with the text suggested by Kohlmayer arrived digitally. The mayor first posted it in the Whatsapp group with his city councillors. The reaction there was positive across party lines. Then he put the video on Facebook – and it went viral. Press inquiries have been pouring in since Saturday. Advertising for the city’s own festival can hardly be better.
If there wasn’t a small catch: the 450 euro version of the video is only for sending to colleagues and friends. If you advertise with it, it costs 3180 euros according to the website.