Meta is spending millions to convince people that data centers are cool and you like them
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 …