Liquid Death, the canned water company, has launched a new advertising campaign titled "We want your pee," enlisting NFL player Jason Kelce to encourage consumers to send their urine to AI data centers. The initiative, a collaboration with Garage Beer, aims to highlight the significant water consumption and environmental concerns associated with the burgeoning AI industry.
The ad features Kelce, an investor in Garage Beer, urinating into a mason jar and explaining that AI data centers use millions of gallons of water. The proposed solution, presented in a musical segment, is to use human urine to cool these facilities. The campaign depicts a crowd collecting urine from various sources, including eagles, and even drinking their own output, which is noted to be the color of Garage Beer.
This latest marketing effort by Liquid Death follows a pattern of attention-grabbing campaigns. Since its 2019 launch, the company has employed provocative strategies, such as releasing a death metal album compiled from customer hate mail and sponsoring the dystopian game show in the movie remake of "The Running Man." The "We want your pee" campaign coincides with Liquid Death's expansion into energy drinks.
Garage Beer, a fast-growing lite lager, also counts Travis and Jason Kelce among its major investors. The beer is reportedly the fastest-growing lite lager in the U.S. and is available at Red Robin restaurants.
Data centers are a growing concern due to their substantial water and electricity usage. Reports indicate that in 2025, data centers are projected to consume 4.5 trillion liters of water globally. There are also concerns about the industry's role in global component shortages and its broader economic impact. Despite claims of improved efficiency, public sentiment appears to be shifting negatively regarding AI's environmental footprint.
Liquid Death is even offering a $18 lidded glass container for sending urine, though it is currently sold out. While the campaign is overtly promotional and acknowledges its own past environmental controversies, such as selling NFTs in 2022, its core message reflects a perceived public dissatisfaction with the AI industry's rapid expansion and its environmental consequences. The use of a prominent figure like Jason Kelce to advocate for such an unconventional protest underscores the growing public unease surrounding large-scale AI development.