Hyundai Motor Celebrates the Weird and Wonderful of Vegas

Hyundai Motor and its global digital and creative agency partner, Jung von Matt SPREE, have unveiled a global print, OOH and DOOH campaign with a playful take on its self-driving robotaxi.

“Trained in Vegas” hinges on Hyundai Motor's choice of Las Vegas as the launch location for its IONIQ 5 robotaxi, and the campaign creative leans into the city’s wild reputation to highlight its technical capabilities.  

The idea is that Hyundai Motor’s fleet of robotaxis continuously learn from the traffic situations they come across. Therefore Las Vegas - arguably the most eccentric city in the world - is the perfect choice to train its algorithm. As we see the robotaxi successfully navigate Vegas' unpredictable streets, the campaign playfully asserts: if the IONIQ 5 robotaxi can handle Vegas, it’s ready to handle just about anywhere.

Shot from the point of view of the robotaxi, the campaign showcases bizarre scenarios from Vegas’ streets, from an Elvis impersonator cruising on a mini-scooter, to an alien skating down the road. Each motif is displayed alongside simple copy, emphasising that, in the face of unexpected situations, the robotaxi is smart enough to react accordingly.

The campaign opts for a humorous approach in contrast to typical autonomous driving communication that’s filled with technical details and jargon.

According to Sarah Buggle, creative director at Jung von Matt SPREE, “The key highlight of the campaign is its style of communication; it rejects complex technical language that can leave people confused, disconnected, even mistrustful of autonomous vehicles, and instead offers a more relatable, real-world view of driverless tech.”

The campaign is launching this month worldwide across OOH, print and digital channels having kicked off initially with a DOOH placement in Las Vegas during the Consumer Electronics Show (CES), the premier global event for the latest in tech.

The campaign’s motifs were shot by Berlin-based photographer, Jules Esick, and post-produced by RECOM Group Berlin. On-ground support in Las Vegas was provided by Fixer Films.