Mascots are designed to put a face to a name…humans find that it is easier to understand and relate through objects and things… and that’s why we decided to find a mascot that not only fits our culture here at Famous Tate, but gives us a new and exciting way to give back to our community and the preservation of the animals that reside within it.
Tater the Turtle is actually a Gopher Tortoise, an animal native to our home here in Florida. Unbeknownst to many, Tater was selected by a group of Kindergarten students in the local Tampa Bay area. After the students were given a few options of animals to choose from, they felt the tortoise would be the best option for our mascot!
But we weren’t just looking for a cute animal to become the representative mascot for Famous Tate. After looking into the characteristics of this Florida native, we felt the Tortoise and its characteristics truly represented our iconic company and the culture we have looked to build over the 68 years we’ve been serving the Tampa Bay area.
The Gopher Tortoise is, of course, a naturally cute animal with a long history in our state. In fact, the gopher tortoise remains as the only land tortoise native to this particular area. They have an independent nature and their burrows serve as habitats for many other wild animals such as snakes, mice, and frogs. They’ve been known to live as long as 90+ years and rely heavily on their burrows as a place of safety and security. Of the most distinct and admirable characteristics of the gopher tortoises, this highly respected animal is considered a keystone species meaning it is vital to health and well-being of the ecosystem in which it lives.
As an independent dealer founded in Tampa in 1954, we see a lot of similarities to the gopher tortoise in both the nature of our work environment, as well as the continuous evolvement we have made over the years as a local company. Our work serving customers helps support over 250 households and we are proud of our associates and the commitment they have made to keep customer satisfaction as a top priority. Our involvement within the community as a partner who looks to continuously give back has allowed us to fulfill the needs of various local organizations and individuals. We consistently seek to provide quality care and customer service each time we have the opportunity to serve those around us.
Community. Values. Commitment. Three words key to our company culture and you’ll often see them in our advertising.
So how does Tater show up in our ads?
Well, if you’ve seen any of the newest Famous Tate commercials on your local tv networks, you’ll see Tater digitally displayed throughout the commercial. Depending on the campaigns running or holiday events, our Tater might even be decked out in sunglasses or waving an American flag in honor of Independence Day or the 4th of July! Tater finds his way into newspaper ads too, so keep an eye out to see how he may look depending on the time of year or campaign we’re running!
Tater(s) on Instagram & Facebook
We often refer to our Famous Tate associates as “Taters,” which is something you might look out for on our Instagram or Facebook posts! If we’re welcoming new Taters to the team, we’re shouting out recently hired employees…not just referring to potatoes.
Tater in our stores!
It wasn’t enough to just have a mascot, we knew we needed something fun to bring it to life… So we had a custom plush doll created in the Tater likeness. This doll is often given as families are shopping so that young children can be occupied… and leave with a special memory of our showroom. We’re on our 2nd generation of the Tater doll and you can see both of them in the photo to the left. We accept donations when customers want additional dolls for their family members and 100% of those proceeds are donated to the Florida Wildlife Federation. They have a special fund to preserve and mark signage for gopher tortoise habitats throughout our state and we are proud to contribute to these great efforts.
So, next time you shop with us, keep an eye out for Tater in our showroom and we hope you can take one home for your family!