Autism Speaks: Julia Autism Awareness by BBDO & The Ad Council

The Muppet character of Julia was introduced on Sesame Street in 2015 as part of the Sesame Street and Autism: See Amazing in All Children initiative. Since then, the cheerful four-year-old with autism has become popular and is now the star of a public awareness campaign from the Ad Council and Autism Speaks.

Though autism can be reliably diagnosed as early as age 18 months, most children aren’t diagnosed until between four and five years old – and studies indicate that age is even higher for low-income and minority children. The new bilingual awareness campaign featuring Julia promotes early screening and diagnosis, which can open a world of possibilities for the one-in-59 children diagnosed with autism.

In the spots, Julia is seen interacting with other Muppets in a supportive way. In one, a man asks Julia if she’d like to use a talker to help with her words and express what she wants – which is to play ball with her dog. In another, she is wearing noise-canceling earphones to make sure loud noises from playing music with friends doesn’t disturb her.

The multimedia campaign grew out of a partnership between the Ad Council, Autism Speaks and Sesame Workshop. It is designed to help parents to learn the signs of autism and understand the importance of early screening and diagnosis, ultimately making a meaningful difference in the lives of children with autism.