Outside American Pest Control is Bugga, a bulldog statue painted up with leaves and bugs. The statue, one of 40 created around Athens, Ga. in honor of the University of Georgia, is nothing new, but is now highly visited by virtual gamers alike.
Bugga is dubbed a PokeStop, a physical place where Pokémon GO users can battle virtual Pokémon.
“We see tourists and visitors stopping by and posing for pictures with Bugga periodically, but we have definitely seen an influx of people visiting the statue since it was made a PokeStop,” Marissa Chilton, social media specialist for American Pest Control, said.
Chilton said the company promoted the stop on Facebook and saw “great results” with engagement and new followers. Many businesses have become PokeStops like American Pest, and have taken advantage of having visitors engage with the company physically and virtually.
Even co-workers who play Pokémon GO visit the statue to on breaks. “Several of the technicians have been taking advantage of the PokeStop as well as they make trips in to the office,” Chilton said.
Along with the other 30 statues, Bugga was created in 2002. Chilton said Bugga was designed by an artist who was a friend of American Pest Control’s founding family.
“We even have a ‘baby Bugga’ that we take to visit our friends, customers, and other local business owners,” Chilton said. “We were so excited when we found out that Bugga was a PokeStop we had to let our social media followers know.”
Latest from Pest Control Technology
- TAP Showcases Unique EPA-Registered Insulation Solution
- Atticus' Growing Pest Management Product Portfolio
- Bobby Jenkins Named the 2025 Crown Lifetime Achievement Award Recipient
- Abell Pest Control Marks Five Years of ‘12 Days of Giving’
- Built-by-Owner Home? Look for Surprises
- The Pest Rangers Acquires O.C.E. Pest & Termite Control
- The Professional Pest Management Alliance Expands Investor Network
- Big Blue Bug Solutions’ Holiday Lighting Event Sets New Viewership Record
