GOING UP

Louvre Heist Elevator Company Turns the Crime Into an Advertising Campaign

The CEO had a bright idea after his elevator was used in a jaw-dropping getaway.

The company behind the furniture elevator used in the Louvre heist is capitalizing on the exposure with a new advertising campaign. The raid on Oct. 19 has left France stunned, after thieves made off with irreplaceable Napoleonic jewels worth around $102.63 million. Images of the scene outside the window have circulated around the world. Husband and wife Alexander Böcker and Julia Scharwatz recognized their elevator instantly. It was an Agilo model made by Böcker Maschinenwerke, of which Böcker is the chief executive. When it became clear no one had been hurt, they leapt at the opportunity. They bought the rights to the photo and published the advertisement on Oct. 20. “When you’re in a hurry, the Böcker Agilo carries your heavy treasures,” the ad read. They didn’t actively push it in France, Böcker said, according to The New York Times. Speaking to Reuters, he said, “We have even had feedback from abroad saying, ‘Hey, you Germans do have a sense of humor after all.’” Böcker is based in Werne, western Germany. He said the Agilo elevator was stolen from a company in Paris that had bought it from him in 2020.