German Company Whose Mechanical Lift Was Used in Louvre Heist Posts Ad Boasting It Can Carry ‘Treasures’ in a ‘Hurry’
Screenshot via @boeckermaschinenwerke on Instagram.
The German company whose mechanical lift was used in the stunning heist of Napoleonic jewels from the Louvre Museum in Paris is capitalizing on their moment in the spotlight, posting ads touting their equipment’s ability to carry “treasures” quickly and “quiet as a whisper.”
The brazen robbery was carried out in broad daylight by a gang who managed to steal eight pieces of France’s crown jewels from one of the most famous museums in the world in a mere eight minutes.
According to eyewitness accounts and video footage, thieves dressed as construction workers used a mechanical lift on the back of a truck to access a balcony and use angle grinders to breach the window and gain entry to the museum’s Gallery of Apollo, which has displayed the French crown jewels for more than a century.
Once inside, the gang used their power tools to scare off the unarmed guards and used the angle grinder again to break into the display cases holding the jewels.
The thieves then made their way back out the window and down the lift before escaping on motorized scooters. It appears they attempted to set fire to the truck and lift before fleeing, but were unsuccessful, leaving evidence behind for investigators. Nonetheless, they remain at large and no suspects have been named thus far.
Böcker Maschinenwerke GmbH (“Böcker Machine Works”), a firm based in Werne, Germany, says it was one of their lifts used in the heist.
“The crime is, of course, absolutely reprehensible, that’s completely clear to us,” Alexander Böcker, the company’s managing director, told reporters. After confirming no one was hurt during the robbery, they couldn’t resist the chance to capitalize on the moment with a little humor.
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The heist was “an opportunity for us to use the most famous and most visited museum in the world to get a little attention for our company,” said Böcker.
A post on the @boeckermaschinenwerke Instagram page shows a photo of the company’s lift at the crime scene along with a caption touting the equipment’s benefits.
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The post reads: “WENN’S MAL WIEDER SCHNELL GEHEN MUSS: Der Böcker Agilo befördert eure bis zu 400 kg schweren Schätze mit 42 m/min – flüsterleise Dank 230 V E-Motor.”
Translation: “When things need to go quickly: The Böcker Agilo transports your treasures weighing up to 400 kg at 42 meters per minute — quiet as a whisper thanks to its 230 V electric motor.”
An added bit of ironic humor is in the company motto on the top right on the image: “Mein Weg Nach Oben,” or “My Way to the Top.”
“Wir haben mit den Tätern und dem Überfall wirklich nichts zu tun,” (“We really have nothing to do with perpetrators and the robbery”) Böcker told Vienna television outlet Zeit im Bild.
He explained that this specific machine had been sold several years ago to a French customer whose business involved renting out this kind of equipment in Paris. The apparent thieves had requested a demonstration of the machine only to steal it during the demonstration.
The post seems to be a big hit, easily becoming the company’s most popular across its social media platforms, and garnering overwhelmingly positive reactions from around the world. The comments on the company’s Facebook post is riddled with laughing emojis and praise for the marketing team in a variety of languages.
“Das ist mehr als genial,” wrote one commenter (“This is beyond genius”). Others praised the flattering representation of German technology: “Groß und stark: deutsche Qualität” (“Big and strong: German quality”).
One of the best comments offered a royally good pun: “Your messaging takes the crown.”
