British soccer star Owen Hargreaves is set to star in a London Underground poster campaign promoting tourism in Germany.  The posters are headlined "I'm a big fan of Germany, except when we're playing against them."  Hargreaves has lived and played professional football in Munich for a number of years.

While celebrity endorsements are nothing new, the campaign is a relatively rare example of a destination using a non-native to promote its tourism product.  There will no doubt be some Brits who view Hargreaves as something of an economic traitor, helping to divert domestic tourism spending to foreign markets.  But these calls will probably come only from the British tourism industry as the average consumer has become conditioned to celebs' globe-trotting lifestyles and tenuous links to endorsed products.

The real question is: will it work?  Stars can help to make a destination hot by choosing it as a vacation spot, but does a sports star's decision to re-locate based on a lucrative football contract provide a reason to visit?  Beckham, for example, has become a lifestyle brand and might be useful in enticing more Brits to visit LA -- his image fits with that of the city.  But Hargreaves in Germany?  Where's the brand link?  Yes, he plays there, but what does Hargreaves' experience of Munich have to do with my hopes and dreams for a vacation in Germany?