Brand collaborations are a tale as old as time, especially when it comes to nostalgic figures and building trust. That’s why it makes perfect sense for NerdWallet to employ a familiar character from Sesame Street to build trust and confidence in the brand. In an ad focused on rising prices across the country, who better to tally the difference than the Count himself? His gleeful counting of gas prices, underwhelming discounts, and rising mortgage rates call attention to some of the financial struggles that are relevant in today’s economy with a touch of humor.

The ad does a nice job of advertising NerdWallet’s services by demonstrating all of the reasons people might have to utilize their brand in the current market. While a financial message may traditionally fall on deaf ears, when it is delivered by a friendly face from your childhood, suddenly it has the ability to cut through the noise.