German lift firm turns Louvre heist into viral marketing campaign for “fast” and “quiet” lifts

A German lift manufacturer has attracted widespread attention after using the recent Louvre heist as the centrepiece of its latest marketing campaign.

Bocker Maschinenwerke, based in Werne, Germany, shared an Instagram post on October 23 showing one of its lifts at the Louvre crime scene. The photo featured the same model of furniture elevator used in the October 19 robbery that shocked France.

Authorities confirmed that the thieves employed a professional-grade lift to reach the Denon Wing, home to the Mona Lisa. Bocker later identified the machine as one of its own, originally sold to a Paris rental company in 2020 and reportedly stolen before the incident.

Rather than distancing itself from the event, the company capitalised on the unexpected publicity. Bocker reposted the widely circulated image, adding a humorous caption that read, “When you need to move fast,” followed by a promotional tagline: “The Böcker Agilo transports your treasures weighing up to 400kg at 42m/min – quiet as a whisper.” The post included hashtags such as #Louvre and #Bocker.

The marketing move quickly went viral, with users on social media describing it as “marketing genius.” One commenter wrote, “Give that marketing team a good raise,” while another added, “There’s no such thing as bad publicity. Every crisis is an opportunity.”

The viral post has been shared thousands of times and covered by European media outlets, leading to a surge in Bocker’s online following.

Whether viewed as a risky move or strategic branding, the campaign has ensured Bocker’s name is now as recognisable as the crime itself.