Take9 has unveiled its latest public awareness campaign, “Count Before You Click,” starring Sesame Street’s iconic Count von Count.

Created in collaboration with Sesame Workshop and developed by Bully Pulpit International (BPI), the campaign champions the power of a simple nine-second pause to help individuals avoid online frauds and scams.

The campaign features a series of engaging videos in which The Count – a beloved character known for his passion for numbers – showcases the power of counting to nine, while Take9 reinforces that a quick pause can help prevent online frauds and scams. In the launch film, “Jazzercise,” The Count leads a woman through a light-hearted exercise routine when she’s interrupted by a fake bank alert. He guides her through a routine of heel taps for nine seconds, and this creates the necessary pause for her to spot the red flags.

With fraud and scams increasingly embedded in everyday digital life, the campaign delivers a clear and memorable behavioural message. By promoting a brief pause, Take9 aims to disrupt the false urgency often used by scammers and empower audiences to make more considered decisions online. The initiative targets Millennial and Gen X audiences in particular, many of whom grew up learning numbers from The Count.

The deal was negotiated and managed by Born Licensing, which acted as the central point of contact between BPI and Sesame Workshop. Appointed by BPI to oversee the licensing process end-to-end, Born Licensing facilitated the partnership from initial negotiations through to creative approvals, ensuring a seamless collaboration and an authentic use of the Sesame Street IP throughout the campaign.

Born Licensing worked closely with BPI and Sesame Workshop to support the development of the campaign, ensuring that The Count’s character was brought to life in a way that remained true to the brand’s values while effectively delivering the campaign’s important message.

The multi-channel rollout will see the campaign appear across linear TV, streaming platforms, social media, and digital channels, meeting audiences where they are and maximising reach.

David Born, CEO of Born Licensing, comments: “Cutting through in today’s media landscape is one of the greatest challenges facing any campaign. Licensing a character as generationally adored as Count von Count gives brands a distinct head start – the trust and affection are already there, and this campaign puts that to brilliant use.”

Jen Ahearn, Senior Vice President, Global Strategic Partnerships at Sesame Workshop, comments:

“For more than 50 years, Sesame Street has connected with generations of families through characters they know and trust. The Count’s joyful love of numbers makes him a natural fit to showcase the power of counting to nine. This campaign highlights how the strength of our brand and characters can be harnessed to drive meaningful, real-world impact.”

“Online frauds and scams are a nightmare, but protection doesn’t have to be,” said Christina Sheffey, Executive Creative Director and Partner at BPI. “When Take9 asked BPI to help Americans pause before they click, we knew we had to bring in someone who’s been commanding attention and counting for a very long time – Sesame Street’s Count von Count. BPI is proud to help Take9 launch a campaign that brings joy and clarity to digital safety, and shows how staying safe online can be as easy as counting to nine.”

Take9 was launched by Craig Newmark in collaboration with Aspen Digital, with a mission to create a safer digital world. As online fraud continues to rise in scale and sophistication, initiatives like “Count Before You Click” aim to equip individuals with simple, practical tools to protect themselves and their communities.