The Louvre thieves used a furniture lift in their heist. Now the company that makes it is hoping to cash in.

A German businessman, Alexander Böcker, was shocked to learn about a robbery at the Louvre in Paris while reading the news with his wife last Sunday. His wife, Julia Scharwatz, pointed out that the lift used in the robbery resembled one made by their company.

The lift in question was the Böcker Agilo, a versatile machine used in construction or for hoisting furniture to upper-story apartments. As details of the robbery emerged, Böcker and Scharwatz, who heads marketing at the company, received messages from colleagues and employees suggesting they capitalize on the incident for advertising purposes.

The robbers had used the Böcker lift to access a second-story balcony at the Louvre, where they cut through a window and stole an estimated $102 million worth of jewels. The entire operation took just four minutes.

After brainstorming, the company decided to focus on the speed of Böcker machines in a new ad campaign. The ad, which was published on social media, featured an image of the Böcker machine outside the Louvre with the tagline: “If you’re in a hurry.” It highlighted the lift’s capabilities, emphasizing its quiet operation and efficiency.

The response to the campaign was mixed, with some finding it humorous and others praising the company’s creativity. The ad garnered over 4.3 million views on Instagram and Facebook, significantly more than their usual posts.

While the publicity generated by the campaign has not yet translated into increased sales, Böcker remains hopeful that it may attract interest from new markets where their products are less known.

Böcker emphasized that neither he nor his company condone the robbery at the Louvre. They are a reputable company with a strong focus on safety and quality. The use of their machine in the robbery was an unexpected event, and they simply sought to make the best of the situation through their advertising campaign.