German Company Capitalizes on Louvre Heist with Bold Ad Campaign

On March 5, 2023, a daring heist at the Louvre Museum in Paris unfolded as thieves accessed a second-floor window, seizing stolen jewels valued at millions. The criminals utilized a furniture elevator to make their getaway, leading to a mixture of shock and outrage among the French public. Amidst this chaos, the German machinery company Böcker seized a unique marketing opportunity, launching an ad campaign shortly after the incident.

Alexander Böcker, the chief executive of Böcker, recognized the elevator featured in the heist as their own Agilo truck-lift. In an interview with Reuters, Böcker and his partner, Julia Scharwatz, explained their decision to promote the product following the theft. Just a day after the heist, they unveiled a social media campaign featuring the tagline, “When you’re in a hurry, the Böcker Agilo carries your heavy treasures,” alongside a photo of the lift outside the Louvre.

The marketing strategy effectively capitalized on the public’s fascination with the heist, which lasted less than ten minutes and resulted in no injuries. Böcker disclosed that after acquiring the rights to the photo of the lift, brainstorming sessions led to the swift rollout of the advertisement. He noted, “We have even had feedback from abroad saying, ‘Hey, you Germans do have a sense of humor after all.’”

The company, headquartered in Werne, Germany, is located nearly 400 miles from the Louvre. Scharwatz further revealed in an interview with The Guardian that the Agilo elevator had previously been sold to a company in Paris, which had purchased it from Böcker in 2020.

Böcker emphasized that the decision to create the advertisement was made only after confirming that no one was harmed during the incident. While the ad has not been actively promoted in France, it has resonated with audiences in Germany, eliciting responses that reflect a sense of schadenfreude regarding the French misfortune. Comments such as “Excellent” on Böcker’s Instagram post highlight the public’s enthusiastic reception of the campaign, pointing to a perception of quality associated with German products.

As the story of the Louvre heist continues to attract media attention, Böcker’s innovative approach to leveraging the event for marketing purposes has sparked discussions about the intersection of crime and corporate branding. The ad serves as a reminder of how companies can adapt swiftly to unforeseen circumstances, turning challenges into opportunities for engagement.