The Louvre heist lift-maker seizes the moment with a new ad campaign

A German company inadvertently caught up in a Louvre museum heist and one of its elevators used in the heist is making the most of its free publicity by launching a new ad campaign.

The Verne-based firm Böcker published this week a Social media posts Features a now famous image of a furniture ladder extending to a balcony outside the Apollo’s gallery.

“When you want to move fast,” reads a banner under the image. “The Böcker Agilo transports your treasure weighing up to 400kg at 42m/min – whisper quiet.”

Video has emerged of alleged thieves stealing €88m (£76m; $102m) of France’s crown jewels and fleeing up a mechanical ladder on Sunday.

Speaking to the AFP news agency on Wednesday, the company’s managing director, Alexander Boker, said he used a “touch of humor” to draw attention to the family-run business when it became clear that no one had been injured in the theft.

“The offence, of course, is absolutely reprehensible, that is absolutely clear to us,” Mr Bowker said.

“It was an opportunity for us to use the world’s most famous and most visited museum to bring some attention to our company.”

Reaction to Boker’s new campaign has been enthusiastic, with responses on social media including “marketing genius” and “excellent, this is German quality”.

“Your messaging takes the crown,” one commenter scoffed.

Mr Bowker told AFP he recognized his company’s device from news reports, saying the machine had been “sold a few years ago to a French customer who rents out this type of equipment in and around Paris”.

The alleged jewel thieves had arranged for them to demonstrate the machine last week and stole during the demonstration, he added.

The thieves arrived at the Louvre on Sunday, after the museum’s doors had opened and visitors had begun to file through its corridors.

In eight minutes, they took away some of France’s most valuable treasures belonging to former royalty or imperial rulers.

Among the eight items stolen were diadems, necklaces, ear rings and brooches studded with thousands of diamonds and other precious stones.

The Louvre reopened on Wednesday, days after what was described as France’s most shocking theft.

The museum’s director admitted on Wednesday that the Louvre had failed to detect the gang early enough to stop the theft and that CCTV around its perimeter was weak and “aging”.

“We have failed these jewels,” said Laurence des Cars, “no one has been protected from brutal criminals – not even the Louvre”.

“We have been a terrible failure at the Louvre. I take responsibility for that,” she added.

Interior Minister Laurent Nunez told France’s Europe 1 radio that he had “every confidence” the thieves would be caught.

Prosecutors said they believed the robbers acted on orders from a criminal organization.