Hyundai’s driverless IONIQ 5 robotaxi launched in Las Vegas in 2023. The SAE Level 4 autonomous vehicle features advanced machine learning to help it learn from its surroundings. But when it comes to talking about autonomous driving technology, too much technical jargon leaves people confused, even mistrustful. So we had to find a way to showcase the IONIQ 5 robotaxi’s capabilities instantly and innovatively. And we looked no further than the streets where the robotaxi drives and learns — because if it can handle Vegas, it can handle almost any driving environment.

What makes the campaign stand out from other autonomous driving communications is not just what it’s saying, but the way it says it: choosing a playful, real-world view of driverless tech and rejecting jargon to showcase the robotaxi’s tech capabilities. And the message is clear to all—whether they’re familiar with driverless technology or not.

Vegas is famous for its wild unpredictability and even wilder characters, making it the perfect place to train the IONIQ 5 robotaxi algorithm. Vegas also provides the ideal backdrop to bring much needed humour and humanity into a campaign about autonomous driving technology. Plus, it’s the home of the annual Consumer Electronics Show (CES), the world’s premier technology event. In other words, it’s the logical place to host a campaign about an autonomous vehicle trained on the streets of the city.

The print motives made their way into automotive magazines and newspapers with a total collective circulation of over 500,000, as well across Hyundai’s digital and social channels. The “Trained in Vegas” campaign was initially launched in Las Vegas, during the Consumer Electronics Show (CES), with digital out-of-home placements, before it was launched worldwide across print, digital and out of home.