Liquid Death and Garage Beer have teamed up to help AI data centers cool down without guzzling the millions of gallons of water they typically require. Their solution? Human pee.
The collaborative campaign, “We Want Your Pee,” launches with a “P[EE].S.A.-style” spot, featuring Garage Beer co-owner and former NFL player Jason Kelce. The ad opens with Kelce at his toilet, only to reveal he’s collecting his urine in a bottle.
“AI data centers waste millions of gallons of water,” Kelce says to the camera. When he finishes his business, he steps into a wooded meadow and breaks into song.
“We want your pee, please give us your pee,” he sings, joined by Murder Man, Liquid Death’s mascot, who also holds a jar of urine.
A crowd soon gathers, with each person holding their own receptacle and singing along: “Let’s pee on computers, together, to save humanity.”
Eventually, everyone arrives at a post office, ready to send their contributions to the nearest data center.
The spot will run on Liquid Death’s and Garage Beer’s social channels, as well as CTV.
Embracing a hot issue
As AI companies build data centers across the U.S., public backlash has grown. According to a recent Gallup pool, 7 out of 10 Americans oppose data centers being built in their communities. Local governments in cities like Tulsa, New Orleans, and Birmingham have enacted moratoriums on new constructions.
Liquid Death and Garage Beer saw an opportunity to seize the “cultural zeitgeist” and lean into their shared irreverent humor, according to Andy Pearson, vp of creative at Liquid Death.
“Garage Beer is a lot like us, an indie beverage brand that’s trying to take on the big guys through humor,” Pearson told ADWEEK. “Humor, at its core, is based on sharing a reality with another human being and laughing at a truth that’s there. It’s also one of the very few involuntary, visceral, physical reactions that you can elicit from someone. And when you can do that, you’ve really connected with someone deeply.”
Andy Sauer, CEO of Garage Beer, told ADWEEK that while humor drives both brands, they also take the underlying issue seriously.
“Water is the world’s most valuable resource, and data centers are a hot topic, so we got together to have some fun, while raising a little awareness,” Sauer said.
Content as marketing, marketing as content
Jason Kelce is once again the main character in a Garage Beer campaign, a strategy that gives consumers a familiar face to associate with the relatively new beer brand.
It’s also why the company assembled a cast of actors who are personally close to Kelce.
Former NFL teammate Beau Allen has appeared in several videos, including “Thermal Buzz,” an 11-minute film set in the Predator cinematic universe, and the brand’s Super Bowl debut. Kelce’s wife, Kylie, made a cameo in “The Last True Cold One,” a 16-minute Western spoof that also featured Allen.
Having a recurring, recognizable cast is similar to how content creators work, and it makes Garage Beer’s marketing feel more like content. According to Sauer, that helps the brand stand out in a crowded beverage landscape.
“With people consuming most of their news, media, and life through their phones, we’ve found the best way to reach them is through short form, and in some cases, longer form videos that tell a story,” Sauer said. “Most of the time, the story is a little if not very dumb, but it’s also relatable and easy to digest.”
Sauer and his team may be on to something. Garage Beer is one of the fastest growing beer brands in the U.S., at a time when alcohol consumption among U.S. adults has dropped to a record low 54%.