Hoff studied portrait and landscape painting at the Academy of Fine Arts in Vienna, where he had begun to make a name for himself through his stage and costume illustrations.

His drawings of groups of impeccably dressed and homosocial male figures, virtually always depicted in a smiling and relaxed attitude, became the signature style of Simpson’s and DAKS men’s wear press advertising right up until the early 1960s.

In 1958 a small campaign of only eight ads - due to a limited budget of Böhme Fettchemie GmbH - his illustrations were advertising FeWa FeinWaschmittel (fine washing powder).

Therefore, in 1956 he agreed with Philipp F. Reemtsma to transfer the Astor contract to his branch office in Hamburg, managed by Brose's son Heinz Martin.

In 1961 Heinz Martin Brose decided to provide a new style for their ad campaign for Astor Cigarettes.