At 88, Werner Kalecinski wanted to try something new.
For months, as he took care of his ailing wife, he felt his own vigor wane. He needed to work. He had held many jobs in his long life — scavenging scrap metal, doing electrical work and selling insurance and frozen food. Now, in the age of social media, he wanted to give TikTok a try, even if he didn’t understand it.
“I thought ‘influencer’ was a cold,” Mr. Kalecinski, now 89, said, stretching the vowels so that the word sounded like “influenza.”
These are exactly the kind of quips that have turned Mr. Kalecinski into a beloved TikTok star in Germany. He is part of a growing cast of elder influencers who have gained traction among much younger users. Their content ranges from the fashion videos known as “Get Ready With Me” to motivational messages offering advice.
Mr. Kalecinski’s character, Opa Werner, or Grandpa Werner, has embraced juvenile humor and has built a following on trying out what Germany’s young people are up to. Audiences love his taste-test videos, watching him grimace as he goes from one coffee shop to the next.
He has yet to find a matcha latte he likes. He once compared the taste of the trendy green beverage to a freshly mowed lawn. His online persona of an affable curmudgeon who uses Gen Z slang to complain about the cost of lattes has drawn almost 200,000 followers and 2.8 million likes. Mr. Kalecinski may hate the taste of oat milk matcha lattes, but his fans say his thirst for life is infectious.
