Sesame Street’s Count von Count (“The Count”) is using his counting to make the world safer. He fronts a public service campaign by Bully Pulpit International for Take9, the organisation launched by craigslist founder, Craig Newmark, in collaboration with Aspen Digital, to help everyday people protect themselves from online frauds and scams.
The campaign creates that protection by encouraging people to count to nine and take a pause before clicking, downloading, or sharing anything online.
Counting to nine provides a critical window to look at content more closely and to spot red flags like misspelled URLs, generic greetings, and unrecognised numbers. Bully Pulpit International’s research identifies Millennials and Gen X as a key audience to engage. As the “sandwich generation,” they’re often responsible for the digital safety of both their children and their parents. Many of them grew up learning numbers with The Count on Sesame Street, which makes him a great character to count with.
To maximise reach, the campaign will meet that audience exactly where they are, whether they’re tuning into major cultural moments on linear TV, streaming their favourite shows, or connecting with friends on social media.
Frauds and scams have become background noise to our daily routines. In 2025, the FTC (US Federal Trade Commission) received 3 million fraud reports from consumers, totalling US$15.9 billion in losses compared to US$12 billion the year prior. With the rise of AI-enabled fraud, scammers have become increasingly more sophisticated. False urgency is their weapon, relying on harried individuals to be distracted.
“I started Take9 to help people understand how to protect themselves from online frauds and people who want to disrupt our country’s infrastructure,” stated Craig Newmark. “I’m a nerd who has been fighting online scams for more than 25 years. The Count has been counting for over 2,500 years. We are arming people with tools to protect themselves, their communities, and our country. This isn’t about some future threat. It’s a big deal and we’re all potential targets.”
“The Count has always been a trusted guide when it comes to counting,” added Jen Ahearn, senior vice president, global strategic partnerships, Sesame Workshop. “He’s playful and funny, but he’s also steady, reliable, and incredibly memorable. That combination is why audiences of all ages instinctively listen when The Count has something to say.”
People can learn more about protecting themselves at PauseTake9.org.
Credits:
Client: Take9
Founder, Take9: Craig Newmark
Vice President & Executive Director, Aspen Institute: Vivian Schiller
Senior Director, Aspen Digital: Matt Altomare
Director, Aspen Digital: Amira Dhalla
Senior Advisor, Craig Newmark Philanthropies: Eric Phillips
Senior Advisor, Aspen Institute: Nicole Tisdale
Head of External Engagement & Communications, Aspen Digital: Amy Schenk
Senior Associate, Aspen Digital: Talia Stringfellow
Agency: Bully Pulpit International
Founder & CEO: Andrew Bleeker
Chief Operating Officer: Kim Axelrod
Managing Director, Controller: Mia Luber
Executive Creative Director, Partner: Christina Sheffey
Creative Directors: Aaron Vick & Tyler Mintz
Associate Creative Directors: Alex Tafur & Adrian Zavala
Senior Art Director: Ashley Siebels
Graphic Designer: Leah Mandel
Head of Production: Natasha Louckevitch
Director of Production: Maddy Marziani
Senior Producer: Chelsea Buyco
Partner and Head of Account Strategy: Alex Kellner
Account Managing Director: Lauren Papp
Account Senior Director: Christian Abke
Account Director: Amber Hord
Associate Director, Earned Media: Sonia Wong
Managing Director, Media: Ivanka Farrell
Media Planning Supervisor: Lili Seward
Senior Director, Creator Engagement: Samuel Burwell
Commercial Contracts Counsel: Lewis Kaminski
Contracts Manager: Preston Abraham
Campaign Partner: Sesame Workshop
SVP Global Corporate Partnerships: Jennifer Ahearn
Director of Content & IP Strategy Operations: Emilie Bandy
VP & Executive Producer: Sal Perez
Senior Producer: Autumn Zitani Stefano
Senior Content Manager – Education: Jess DiSalvo
Creative Director – Character Design: Louis Mitchell
VP Marketing & Brand Strategy: Samantha Kennedy
VP PR & Publicity: Beatrice Chow
Campaign Partner: Jim Henson’s Creative Shop
Puppet Wranglers: Lara MacLean & Michelle Hickey
Creative Director, Jim Henson’s Creature Shop: Jason Weber
Workshop Director, Jim Henson’s Creature Shop: Melissa Creighton
Production Supervisor: Joseph Roddy
Assistant to the Creative Director: Lauren Lee
Props: James Wojtal
Production: JHF Productions INC.
Executive Producer & Principal: Ross Vinstein
Director: Eros V
Line Producer: Aaron Rosenbloom
Production Manager: Alex Liebman
Production Coordinator: Keely Bochicchio-Sipos
Art Director & Coordinator: Sonal Naroth
Director of Photography DOP: Federico Tamburini
1st AD: Mark Kaufmann
Production Designer: Roxy Martinez-Michaud
Music & Sound Company: CANJA Audio Culture
Music Direction: Eduardo Karas, Filipe Resende & Bruno Vieira Brixel
Executive Producer: Vanessa Mafra
Music Supervision: Bruno Vieira Brixel
Project Management: Flavia Medeiros & Kaleb Oliveira
Music: Aloizio Lows & Murillo Pepler
Sound Design: Daniele Dantas & Levi Mynssen
Executive Post Producer: Idalia Deshon
Editor: Lorenzo Bombicci
Assistant Editor: Rodrigo Arauz
Colourist: Oscar Martinez
Online Editor: Nico Cragnolino
Senior Post Producer: Marvin Aguado
VFX Producer: Sofia Saint Genez
Head of Production: Tina Evanow Wolske
BUSINESS AFFAIRS
Group Director: Russ Nadler
Business Affairs Manager: Karina Reis
LICENSING
CEO: David Born
Director of Licensing: Amber Cheung
Licensing Executive: Alberto Massaro
