Verona Pooth is celebrating her advertising comeback and is supported by her two sons.
“When will he finally do ‘Blubb’?” and “You will be helped”: These sentences made Verona Pooth (55) a German advertising icon. Now the 55-year-old is back. Together with her two sons Diego (20) and Rocco (12), she has just filmed the advertising campaign “Here I am at the right place” for Kaufland, which is about fresh fruit and vegetables.
The trio has appeared in front of the camera together several times in the past. “Diego is now a real professional and the little one loves the show and always has a saying on his lips,” laughs the presenter. Nevertheless, the two pursue their own careers away from the spotlight.
This is by far not the first time shooting with your children. Are the two of you still nervous in front of cameras?
Verona Pooth: The shooting took place in a Kaufland branch in Berlin. We received a warm welcome, the whole team was very friendly to us. Diego and Rocco really enjoyed the two days of filming. Rocco received a lot of attention and was praised for his work in front of the camera. Rocco laughed the most at the little slips of the tongue: ice cream head, ice cream, lettuce, lettuce, head… etc. and he was really sad when we left. Diego is now a professional, he works for two modeling agencies in Miami and Cologne. He has given many interviews, been on various TV shows and is therefore used to being in front of the camera. He enjoys this work and finds that nowhere can he learn more than in these types of jobs.
Which of the two enjoys being in front of the camera more?
Pooth: The little one loves being in front of the camera and always has a saying on his lips. He enjoys working with multiple people and is a true team player. He just has a knack for entertaining people. He also has no inhibitions and just has a lot of fun with it. Diego observes everything at first and is often more reserved; he is no longer a child. But when you need it, it works perfectly and delivers. That’s why he gets so many inquiries and is booked again and again. Diego knows how to entertain because he has seen me do it again and again and copied it. We are very different, but he understood that my job is anything but a child’s birthday and that, above all, it requires a lot of discipline and perfection.
Diego currently lives in the USA. What’s next for him?
Pooth: Diego has been living in the USA, in the state of Florida, for two and a half years now and is attending a sports academy in Tampa. He lives the life of a competitive golf athlete, and he really enjoys it. However, he could also imagine studying in Germany starting next summer. That would of course be nice because we would see him a lot more often.
What are Rocco’s plans?
Pooth: Rocco has the dream of becoming a professional basketball player, but I see it with a twinkle in my eye. He also plays golf and does taekwondo. His greatest passion is designing. It’s unbelievable that this little person has so much talent for this. That’s where he really comes to Franjo.
Would you like them to continue to be in the spotlight?
Pooth: Limelight is not the right word. Diego is a competitive athlete and will study business management. Rocco is a little boy who loves nothing more than a trip in front of the cameras every now and then. As a 14-year-old, Diego was in front of the camera for the TV show “Comeback or Away” over a period of two years. He learned a lot and was always seen as a talent for the TV world. I think he really enjoys it and really cares about making his own money.
In the advertising campaign you can be seen doing the weekly shopping together with your sons. What’s it like for you away from the cameras? Is this a family task or do you prefer to do it alone?
Pooth: Of course, it’s not always the case that I stand with my two children in the fruit and vegetable section, as was the case during the campaign shoot. But when it does happen, we always have a lot of fun shopping. Most of the time I go with the four of us. But that’s not a problem, I really enjoy shopping. But never without a shopping list. We always write it together at home. There is a list on which everyone can write what they would like or what is needed.
And who will do the cooking in the end?
Pooth: We really enjoy cooking at home as a family. Mostly on weekends. Surprisingly, both Franjo, Diego, Roccolito and I are good cooks. It’s a shame that Diego is so rarely at home with us. But when he is there, the joy is even greater. When cooking together, one of us always takes the reins and everyone else helps. The cooking is wild and there is always a lot of laughter. Finally, we set the table together. After dinner, all three boys disappeared and I cleaned up the kitchen. But that’s absolutely okay for me, because I’m very proud that I have three men who like to cook and, above all, deliciously.
You have been traveling around the world for many years for work reasons, Diego lives in the USA, you have South American roots and Franjo Pooth is the typical Rhinelander. Does this mean you cook a lot of international dishes at home?
Pooth: Yes, we love international cuisine. The word itself promises that it brings with it a variety of foods and tastes. There is no cuisine that we don’t like. For example, we really enjoy going out for Thai food. But we also love having a leg of goose with red cabbage and dumplings on the table at Christmas. For us it is only important that we discuss things with the family in advance and that we agree on a meal together. All kinds of pasta dishes are also high on the list of our favorite dishes. We love pasta with truffles. But salads and fresh, crunchy vegetables are also always a big topic for us. International cuisine is actually exactly right for us. There is hardly anything that we reject.
Can you remember your mother’s favorite recipe? What else do you associate with it?
Pooth: My Mamita was a great cook and I say that with all my heart. I’ve never met anyone who could cook as well as she did. When she got home from work in the evening, she would take off her shoes, go into the kitchen, and from then on you couldn’t talk to her anymore. That’s how I grew up. When I was sick, she made the world’s best chicken soup. I’ve never eaten one like this again in my life. There wasn’t an evening without a great meal on the table. In the eighties it wasn’t all that typical; everyone usually ate dinner while we ate salad and a really high-quality meal. That was a luxury that I couldn’t even appreciate at the time. I miss my mom a lot. For me she was the best cook ever. I don’t have a favorite dish because everything she cooked tasted so great.