Bastian Schweinsteiger still has a small lead. It shines slightly upwards from his beer barrel-shaped metal grill, while Felix Neureuther, two meters away from him, is still holding his hand in his grill so that one of the pieces of wood can finally start burning. Schweinsteiger and Neureuther, former soccer world champion and ski world champion, now soccer expert and ski expert on television, friends since childhood, were on Monday afternoon on the terrace of a souped-up industrial hall in the south of Munich as testimonials for an outdoor brand. And since the best way to inspire men and athletes in particular to achieve top media performance is with a small competition, the two 41-year-olds are each allowed to light up two grill models.
On the one hand, what is taking place here is of course a completely everyday advertising campaign. On the other hand, it also happens to be a very fitting image for what can be observed in many places in Munich these days: the Christmas invitations from the local society, where it becomes clearer than ever that appearances are deceptive.
Although everyone seems particularly harmonious and relaxed at the current presentations, auctions, charity galas or other events with a red carpet and guaranteed flashlights, basically everyone has a different goal, whether guests, organizers or the tabloid media. For example, they basically only want one thing: the next headline about Schweinsteiger’s alleged divorce drama.
The ex-footballer looks into Neureuther’s metal barrel, which smokes more than it burns, and says: “Well.” Then he grabs a metal pipe that you can use to blow on the fire, blows into his grill and shouts, “Shit! Blown out.” They both laugh, which they do a lot this afternoon. And the duel is open again.
Two friends around the campfire, staged in warm light, that’s what it’s all about in the home straight of the year. Get together, warm yourself, eat something and of course tell stories. The story of this afternoon is this: two best friends who really love a grill brand. At least that’s what the marketing department wants. The truth would be that two friends are happy to be able to fool around together. And the wish of his tabloid colleagues: that Schweinsteiger says something about his failing marriage to ex-tennis player Ana Ivanovic, who, interestingly enough, is preparing for her public appearance in the evening exactly 6.7 kilometers further into the city this Monday.
Social receptions are always a kind of competition. Everyone wants to tell their story. At Petromax, as the grill stations are called, the company boss and then the two new testimonials, i.e. the two who will soon be holding out their heads for the holey metal barrels in the planned advertising clips, are allowed to talk about how well it all fits together. Brand and people are both authentic, says the Petromax man. The appearance of the two fathers is particularly authentic, quite pleasantly non-serious. They whisper to each other, joke around, while the company boss talks about down-to-earthness and friendship so often that he could easily compete with any empty interview after a football game. Neureuther then says very seriously that a grill that is easy to use suits them well.
Of course, no one says a word about family and children; all journalists were individually informed beforehand that they should only ask about friendship and fire. When a colleague tries to do it in the press circle, he is quickly stopped.
This is also the case a few kilometers into town. At the Laureus Charity Gala in the Mandarin Oriental, a number of men and women appear in front of the cameras in evening wear and sneakers. Laureus is a platform for former athletes that supports children, as Roman Weidenfeller explains, who as a goalkeeper at Dortmund often played against Schweinsteiger and who looks at the pieces from a charity auction at the flying buffet in the dignified luxury hotel ambience with tartare from Ikarimi salmon, for example, before heading upstairs for dinner.
And what do the journalists want to know about the evening’s star guest, who steps out of the elevator in a bright red, skin-tight dress with gold high heels? Of course everything about her husband. Loud Bild Ana Ivanovic filed for divorce in Munich and sued for maintenance. The two have three sons together. However, Ivanovic doesn’t say anything about it at first.
At the grill in the south of Munich, things are becoming increasingly clear. Schweinsteiger’s lead is lost because he blew it wrong and commented on Neureuther for too long. He stays calm and lights his first grill. The kindergarten friends, “our parents and grandparents already knew each other,” as Neureuther explains, then join together and light three more small fires. Which may also be because at the end you will find a flambé burner among the utensils to be used, as is commonly used for crème brûlée.
Of course there is nothing so profane at Laureus, here Krug champagne is served with Nasu miso crackers. At a reception where former sports greats such as skier Franz Klemm are present and can talk about the past. Back when he became a founding member of Laureus 25 years ago, “together with Boris”, Becker. Or racing driver Sophia Flörsch, who reports on her interval training at Christmas time.
But who wants to know that when you could get news about the end of a previous dream marriage? My colleague obviously sees that too Colorful so and tries the flattery tactic. “No questions about the family please,” the manager tells her, so she first praises the outfit before moving on to the New Year’s wishes via Laureus. This is verbally put together so elegantly that Ivanovic slips out “a lot of time with the family” and only shakes his head when asked about the children.
And then on Monday evening, after their media work, they all disperse again, the friends from the grill at the industrial hall for individual interviews, the gala guests at the hotel for dinner, the organizers and journalists with a few entertaining pictures and impressions in the cameras and block. If Schweinsteiger doesn’t tell anything about his marriage, then at least there’s a little story about how he and Neureuther almost got lost while hiking. And if Ivanovic doesn’t provide a headline, she at least makes an incredibly good photo figure and warns that children should do more sports and use their smartphones less. Her husband sees it the same way, he recommends more time outside – and at the grill.
