• by Tanya Gazdik , 3 hours ago

Clean energy coalition Our Energy has enlisted entertainer and former WWE champion John Cena for a national consumer awareness campaign. 

“People may underestimate wind and solar power,” Cena says in one ad, describing industry job creation as he calmly defeats several grizzly bears in a tug-of-war. “Clean energy is big power, zero drama.”

The effort avoids traditional environmental and political messaging. Instead, it uses absurd humor to show that wind and solar energy provide heavy-duty power.  

“The sector historically relied on business-to-business marketing and lobbying instead of consumer advertising, but the campaign’s backers say rising electricity prices and surging demand from AI data centers have made energy a more immediate issue for U.S. households,” according to The Wall Street Journal. “The ads will run for 45 days in what Our Energy calls a test to inform further Cena ads next year. The initial flight has a media budget of roughly $3 million, according to a person familiar with the investment.”

The effort is “an industry-led consumer awareness campaign—first of its kind for the clean energy industry,” according to CleanPower.org.

Our Energy is a nonprofit educational organization dedicated to engaging with Americans about the expanding role of American energy in meeting the country's growing demand for power. It is supported by manufacturers, innovators, workers, and community leaders.

Cena, who is currently making media appearances to promote “Matchbox the Movie,” says acting hasn’t always been his forte. 

He “opened up about the early struggles of his acting career and admitted that he was effectively ‘run out’ of Hollywood because he did not care enough about his initial movie roles,” according to Wrestlezone via Yahoo Entertainment.