A family-run German company has found itself at the centre of one of Europe’s most audacious art heists after its equipment was used in the theft of jewels worth €88 million from the Louvre museum in Paris.
Böcker, a construction and lifting equipment manufacturer based in Werne near Dortmund, said it was “shocked” to discover that its Agilo furniture elevator had been used by the thieves to gain entry through a first-floor window.
Within hours of the robbery, the company launched a cheeky marketing campaign with the tagline “When you need to move fast”, featuring an image of the now-infamous lift.
Marketing chief Julia Scharwatz said she and her husband, chief executive Alexander Böcker, initially reacted with disbelief before deciding to use humour to address the situation.
“After it was apparent that no one had been hurt, we started making a few jokes and putting our heads together on slogans,” she said.
The lift, capable of carrying up to 400 kilograms of goods at 42 metres per minute, had been sold in 2020 to a Paris-based rental company. According to Böcker, the thieves stole the equipment during a demonstration session last week.
The campaign has since gone viral, with one Instagram post reaching 1.7 million users compared to the company’s usual 20,000. While most responses have been positive, some critics have labelled the advert insensitive. One Facebook user praised the marketing team’s creativity, while another called the move “tasteless” given the seriousness of the crime.
Founded in 1958, Böcker employs about 600 people and prides itself on a blend of “tradition and innovation”. The firm said it had received several new inquiries since the viral moment, though it remains uncertain whether the attention will translate into lasting business.
