Jason Kelce Campaign Highlights Opposition to AI Data Centers' Resource Consumption
Former NFL player Jason Kelce has launched a viral marketing campaign, in collaboration with Liquid Death and Garage Beer, that uses "potty humor" to highlight widespread opposition to AI data centers. The campaign aims to draw attention to the environmental impact of these facilities, particularly their significant water and electricity consumption. It taps into growing political and community backlash against data center development across the US.
Former NFL player and Garage Beer co-owner Jason Kelce has launched a viral marketing campaign, in collaboration with Liquid Death, that leverages "potty humor" to highlight widespread opposition to AI data centers. The campaign, which includes an ad featuring Kelce encouraging people to "pee on computers together and save humanity," aims to draw attention to the significant environmental footprint of these facilities, particularly their immense consumption of fresh water and electricity. The ad's lighthearted approach belies a serious message about the perceived threats data centers pose to local communities, resources, and utility costs.
The campaign specifically references the massive water usage required for cooling servers, citing an Environmental and Energy Study Institute report that large data centers can consume up to 5 million gallons daily. It also points to the substantial electricity demands of new facilities, such as the proposed OpenAI and Nvidia data center in Pike County, Ohio, projected to use 8 gigawatts, and Meta's Hyperion campus in Louisiana, which is expected to consume three times the power of New Orleans. These concerns about resource consumption, rising utility bills, and lack of transparency have fueled a growing backlash, with a recent Gallup poll indicating 71% of Americans oppose new AI data centers in their communities.
This negative sentiment has become a significant political talking point ahead of midterm elections, with both Republican and Democratic campaigns addressing the issue. A memo from the National Republican Senatorial Committee even warned of potential electoral defeat for incumbent Sen. Jon Husted in Ohio if public relations around AI data centers are not quickly improved. Despite the campaign's humorous and arguably performative nature—with fine print advising against actually sending urine—it effectively amplifies a pressing hot-button issue and leverages Kelce's public influence to reach rural America, where much of the opposition to water-guzzling AI data centers is concentrated.