The Equus was Hyundai's first foray into the high-end car segment. Our goal was to establish this new vehicle from a "value-brand" as a legitimate contender among the flagship sedans of Mercedes, BMW, and Lexus, and to create interest and buzz among forward-thinking luxury car owners.

The app has garnered tons of attention for the Equus in the media, and not just in the automotive world. News outlets from CNET to the Wall Street Journal featured stories on the Equus app, and it was named by Fast Company as number 1 of "100 innovative Apple-affiliated achievers changing our life."Sales of the Equus have far outpaced objectives, and in only three months Hyundai has already garnered a six-percent share of the premium luxury segment, year-to-date.

Hyundai gave the new Equus everything that the S-Class, 7-Series and LS460 have, except a traditional luxury pedigree. But they also gave every Equus a complimentary iPad. We used that as an opportunity to position the Equus as the untraditional luxury performance sedan, and replaced the old-world owner’s manual with an iPad. We partnered with Accent Digital, Rage Digital and Armstrong White to develop an app that wasn't just a PDF, but a dynamic, interactive experience that enlightened and entertained as well as informed, working closely with Hyundai and Apple throughout the process to make it perfect.

The Equus had a limited advertising budget, so we had to be smart with our media. But we saw the iPad as more than a unique selling point – it could also be a unique media vehicle.

Instead of making an e-book version of the owner's manual, we created the first-ever, interactive owner's manual app for the iPad, available for free at the App Store. This way, it entertained and informed new owners as well as prospective buyers, and redefined owner’s manuals, luxury, and even what an advertisement is.The medium was the message, and vice versa.