German Lift Maker Harnesses Louvre Jewel Heist Publicity for Viral Marketing

Thieves executed a daring heist at the Louvre Museum in Paris, stealing eight priceless French crown jewels using a Böcker Agilo lift, a truck-mounted electric hoist manufactured by the German company Böcker Maschinenwerke. The lift enabled the robbers to quietly and swiftly access a second-story balcony to break into the Apollo Gallery, completing the theft in just seven minutes. Recognizing their product in news footage, Böcker's management responded with a tongue-in-cheek social media campaign highlighting the lift's speed and efficiency, generating viral attention with over 1.7 million views and widespread praise for their creative marketing. While the company emphasized that it does not condone the crime and acknowledged the seriousness of the incident, they saw an opportunity to capitalize on the publicity with humor, given that no one was harmed during the robbery. French authorities have launched an intense investigation involving over 60 personnel, and museum officials are accelerating security upgrades after admitting previous vulnerabilities. The incident has highlighted both the audacity of the thieves and the unexpected marketing impact for Böcker's lifting equipment.