Liquid Death and Garage Beer launch ad campaign targeting AI data center water use

Campaign Overview

Liquid Death and Garage Beer have collaborated on a marketing campaign featuring NFL star Jason Kelce. The campaign's central theme involves encouraging consumers to drink their products, produce urine, and then send it to an AI data center of their choice. This initiative aims to draw attention to the significant water consumption of data centers.

Origin and Intent

The concept originated with Liquid Death's creative team, with comedian Sabrina Jalees suggesting the data center idea. Andy Pearson, Liquid Death's VP of creative, stated that the campaign leverages a common public concern regarding data center water usage, which he identified as an issue uniting Americans. The brands aim for a lighthearted, humorous approach to address the issue.

Data Center Water Consumption Concerns

Data centers face scrutiny for their substantial water usage, which has led to local water supply problems in various communities. Examples include a 615-acre campus in Fayetteville that reportedly caused low water pressure for over 15 months by consuming 29 million gallons of water, and a Meta data center in Georgia accused of muddying the local water supply. These incidents contribute to widespread public opposition to new data center developments.

Industry Response and Public Sentiment

Tech companies like Microsoft and Amazon have issued statements claiming their data centers use minimal water, while Nvidia is developing technologies to reduce water consumption by up to 100%. Despite these efforts, many believe current measures are insufficient to address the ongoing issues, fueling public resistance against these projects nationwide. The Liquid Death and Garage Beer campaign taps into this sentiment with a comedic angle.