"Over the last few months of 2025, Meta spent $6.4 million on an ad campaign running in cities across the country, from Sacramento to Washington, with a clear mission: win over viewers on the construction of new data centers. As the New York Times reports, the ad campaign is anchored by short, folksy video spotlights on Meta's data centers in Altoona, Iowa, and Los Lunas, New Mexico. The ads make the case that Meta's data centers create jobs, revitalizing rural communities."
"However, they take a fairly idealistic tone. For instance, the Altoona ad portrays a town on the brink of disappearing, but thanks to Meta's data center, its residents get to meet up at local diners and attend football games. The Los Lunas ad similarly shows data center employees having cookouts with their families, rather than moving away to find work."
Meta spent $6.4 million on an ad campaign across U.S. cities to win support for building new data centers. The campaign features folksy video spotlights on facilities in Altoona, Iowa, and Los Lunas, New Mexico, emphasizing job creation and rural community revitalization. The ads adopt an idealistic tone, showing residents socializing at diners, attending football games, and employees hosting family cookouts. Other data center operators are planning coordinated lobbying to defend new builds. A recent winter storm exposed strain on the power grid near large centers. Rising concerns about energy costs and water use have prompted delays and cancellations of major projects.
Read at The Verge
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