The makers of the furniture lift used by the robbers claim it is “definitely not intended for burglary”. At least that’s what they’re saying after posting a humorous promotional post, naturally taking advantage of the sudden fame of their product.
The Böcker company manufactures the Agilo furniture lifter, which was used in the brazen, one might say, robbery on Sunday (19/10).
The next day, after the robbers made off with loot that included €88 million worth of France, the company shared a photo showing the lift at the Louvre, next to a patrol car with the slogan: “When you’re in a hurry.”
The post on Instagram, Facebook and LinkedIn shows the vehicle’s ladder leaning against the side of the building, while informing prospective buyers that the hoist can transport “up to 400kg of treasure at 42m per minute, as quietly as a whisper”.
The company’s CEO, Alexander Boecker, said he and his wife, Julia Sarvach, the company’s marketing manager, realized their product had been used in the robbery when they saw photos from the scene Sunday afternoon.
“We are shocked that our lift has been completely misused for this robbery as it is not approved to transport people,” he said. “And of course it’s not intended for burglaries.
Once we got over the initial shock and found that no one had been hurt, dark humor prevailed. We gathered our ideas and played a “slogan ping pong”. My wife completed it with the marketing team on Monday morning.”
Alexander Boecker/REUTERS/Erol Dogrudogan
Most users found the post funny, with one comment on Instagram saying the post “may be the best ad I’ve seen this year” and another suggesting the company deserved an “Oscar for smartest ad”.
Boecker said that “99% of the reaction was absolutely positive. We understand that not everyone shares this sense of humor. It’s rare that everyone likes something, but most of them laughed their hearts out.” and added that his company has received “many congratulations for the successful marketing campaign”.
The lift used by the robbers belonged to a customer of the company, which rents furniture lifts in the greater Paris area.
“During a demonstration of how to use the lift, it appears that it was stolen and reported stolen by our customer,” Boecker said. “It also appears that the company logo has been removed and the license plates replaced.”
The Louvre reopened to the public on Wednesday after being closed shortly after the robbery on Sunday morning. The eight stolen items remain unaccounted for, as do the robbers.
A few months before the robbery, Louvre employees had gone on strike, warning of understaffing and insufficient funding. “There are too few eyes for too many halls,” they had argued.
