Game On Ball - Cannes Lions Win (Press Release)
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
J3P INC. Celebrates Bronze Win and Multiple Shortlists at the 2026 Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity for "Game On Ball" Campaign
TORONTO, ON — [2, July 2026] — J3P INC. is proud to announce its vital role in the widely acclaimed "Game On Ball" campaign, which took home a Bronze Lion and earned a prestigious Shortlist distinction at the 2026 Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity. Developed in collaboration with Dentsu Creative and TRUE Hockey, the innovative campaign was recognized on the world’s most elite stage for advertising and design excellence.
The Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity is the global benchmark for creative excellence, making this a monumental milestone for the J3P INC. team. The campaign successfully merged physical engineering, digital innovation, and advocacy to tackle a major modern issue: the quiet erasure of a beloved neighborhood tradition in Canada.
Reclaiming the Streets for the Next Generation
As navigation apps increasingly route drivers through residential shortcuts—a phenomenon known as "rat-running"—neighborhood streets have become high-traffic corridors, driving kids indoors and ending the tradition of street hockey.
To combat this, J3P INC. worked alongside Dentsu Creative, TAG Canada, and Pirate Sound to bring TRUE Hockey’s vision to life with the Game On Ball. The first-of-its-kind technology prototype contains an integrated controller, a wireless charging LiPo battery, and a vibration trigger. When kids strike the ball to play, it alerts a base platform which sends live data to a server running virtual machines. This ingenious hack simulates a traffic jam on popular navigation apps, successfully redirecting commuter traffic back to major arteries and keeping neighbourhood children safe.
Backed by Olympic Gold Medalists Natalie Spooner and Kelly Pannek, the campaign drove massive public engagement via its interactive website (TrueGameOn.com), encouraging a national conversation and petitioning navigation apps to introduce an "Avoid Residential Streets" toggle.
Driving Industry Acclaim & Creative Innovation
"We are absolutely thrilled by the recognition at Cannes Lions and the trust from our friends at Dentsu Creative," said James Hall, Director at J3P INC. "Collaborating with the brilliant creative minds at Dentsu Creative and a legacy-driven brand like TRUE Hockey allowed us to demonstrate how technology can solve real-world community problems. Winning a Bronze Lion is a testament to the greater team’s dedication to pushing technical and creative boundaries."
"The technical execution required to seamlessly trick complex routing algorithms in real-time was incredibly challenging, and the success of 'Game On Ball' at Cannes underscores the power of combining great storytelling with cutting-edge engineering," added Rob Lazar, Executive Producer at Dentsu Creative.
The "Game On Ball" campaign was previously heralded as a top Canadian and global contender heading into the festival, featured by leading industry publications such as Little Black Book (LBB Online) and Shots.
To learn more about the technology behind the campaign, visit TrueGameOn.com. For more information about J3P INC. and their capabilities, please visit J3P.ca.
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About J3P INC. J3P INC. is a premier, boutique creative agency specializing in creative development and production. Based in Canada, J3P INC. connects industry-leading brands with photographers, directors, and creators who push the boundaries of modern storytelling.
Media Contact: Ilja Lukac, Executive Producer J3P INC. Ilja@j3p.ca J3P.ca
J3P INC. Announces National Representation of Veteran Commercial Photographer Stephen Ho
J3P INC. Announces National Representation of Veteran Commercial Photographer Stephen Ho
TORONTO, ON - J3P INC. is proud to announce that celebrated Toronto-based photographer and director, Stephen Ho has joined its national representation roster. A staple in the commercial photography space, Ho will now be represented by J3P INC. across the country, bridging his Southern-Ontario roots with the agency’s national reach.
Stephen Ho is widely recognized for his technical precision and versatility, seamlessly blending automotive, lifestyle, and commercial photography into a unique narrative style. His portfolio includes major national campaigns for brands such as Lexus Canada, KIA Canada, Kubota, Canadian Tire and more.
"We are incredibly excited to officially welcome Stephen to the J3P family," says James Hall, Creative Director for J3P INC. "I have been lucky to collaborate with Ste for years. His dynamic skill set and years of industry experience are vital as we look toward our vision for 2026 and beyond. This is a really great step forward for our clients, partners and collaborators."
The representation is effective immediately.
For portfolio reviews, booking inquiries, or more information on J3P INC.’s full creative roster, please contact:
Media Contact: Ilja Lukac, Executive Producer, J3P INC. Ilja@j3p.ca. J3P.ca About J3P INC.: J3P INC. is a premier, boutique creative agency specializing in creative development and production. Based in Canada, J3P INC. connects industry-leading brands with photographers, directors, and creators who push the boundaries of modern storytelling.
About Stephen Ho: steho.ca
J3P INC. Expands National Roster with Vancouver-Based Commercial Photographer, Kevin Uy
For immediate release
Contact name: Ilja Lukac, Executive Producer
Phone: (416) 276-3599
Email: Ilja@j3p.ca
J3P INC. Expands National Roster with Vancouver-Based Commercial Photographer, Kevin Uy
TORONTO, ON — J3P INC., a premier boutique creative agency and production house, is proud to announce the official east-coast representation of renowned commercial photographer, Kevin Uy.
Based in Vancouver, British Columbia, Uy’s addition to the roster reinforces J3P INC.’s strategic roadmap and commitment to providing groundbreaking visual storytelling across Canada.
Recognized for a clean, sophisticated aesthetic and technical precision, Kevin Uy has become a sought-after creative lead for luxury brands including Rolls-Royce and Lamborghini Canada. His expertise in capturing movement, natural light and topographic features extends to the global stage, with recent work featured across Southeast Asia for brands such as Omoda and Jaecoo Motors.
"Kevin represents the pinnacle of his craft, and a unique voice in the commercial space" says James Hall, Creative Director for J3P INC. "His clean, West Coast aesthetic and ability to execute complex commercial shoots with ease bring an unparalleled range of expertise to our team, while providing an easier point of entry for productions based on the east coast.”
The representation is effective immediately.
For portfolio reviews, booking inquiries, or more information on J3P INC.’s full creative roster, please contact:
Media Contact: Ilja Lukac, Executive Producer, J3P INC. Ilja@j3p.ca. J3P.ca
About J3P INC.: J3P INC. is a premier, boutique creative agency specializing in creative development and production. Based in Canada, J3P INC. connects industry-leading brands with photographers, directors, and creators who push the boundaries of modern storytelling.
About Kevin Uy: kevinuy.com
1972 Custom Super Beetle. Unmistaken Identity. Impractically Perfect.
The old adage goes: if you do something you love, you will never work a day in your life.
For Carl Ménard, a heavy-duty truck mechanic based in Ottawa, Ontario, this statement is a life philosophy. Mechanically inclined from a young age, Carl spends the majority of his days surrounded by vehicles – but, those who are afflicted by the love of cars know, you really can’t get enough.
You may have seen Carl’s build online, in photos, or (if lucky enough) driving down the road.
His custom 1972 Volkswagen Super Beetle has become something of a celebrity in its own right. Don’t mistake this Beetle as a minor restoration or throwback to simpler days – Carl has built a jaw-dropping, hooligan machine that’s outfitted with air suspension, copper fender flares and a Yamaha R1 engine swap.
Though Carl has owned the Beetle since 2011, its transformation didn’t fully begin until later that decade. First, the body was removed from the frame, and lovingly restored from the ground up. Around 2017, Carl began to notice issues with the air-cooled engine.
Oil leaks and bad compression became a regular headache, so the unit was replaced to be more reliable. The following year, Carl fabricated a custom rear frame to accept air suspension with components pulled from a Ford F150 pickup truck. Sadly, that same season the engine dropped a valve and Carl was forced to store the car until he could fix the problem.
After practicing and perfecting his art with less-expensive materials, Carl purchased a sheet of overstock copper from a local roofing supply company in Ottawa – the sheet itself was originally intended for use on Parliament Hill.
This brilliant copper not only surrounds the fenders, but is a prominent design feature throughout the Beetle. To tie-in the design element, Carl created vintage-inspired front seats that utilize the material beautifully. What they lack in comfort or padding, they make up for in stunning, hand-crafted style.
In 2020, it was decided that the Super Beetle needed super-power, so another engine swap was planned. The powerplant, which is a near-1,000cc, 4-cylinder, superbike engine derived from MotoGP seemed like the perfect fit. A re-purposed Honda B16 Manifold was installed and Carl fabricated highly-stylized, side-mounted exhaust pipes to give the Beetle added road presence and a sonic character that’s all its own.
Carl adds an element of family history to the build by incorporating two 22-Gauge shot guns inherited from his grandfather on either door. He includes another modified shotgun as the car’s shift lever – his grandfather’s pocket watch
To see more of the 1972 Super Beetle, and other builds that Carl has planned, follow his Instagram: @CarlosMobilos
SEMA 2022
After a whirlwind summer that went by in a flash, we were stoked to know that the annual SEMA show was just around the corner.
Held from November 1st to 4th, at the Las Vegas Convention Centre, SEMA is the premier automotive aftermarket industry event. Many of the biggest names in the industry attend, with well over 1,500 exhibitor booths.
We planned to join our friends at Vibrant Performance to capture the launch of their new products, as well as two show-stopping booth cars.
After a day of travel, including stopovers in Vancouver, BC, Chicago, Illinois, and Calgary, Alberta, our crew finally arrived in Las Vegas. With little time to spare, we hit the ground running.
A definite highlight of the show was Driver Motorsports’ R32 GTR, which kept crowds stacked at the Vibrant Performance booth. With such a clean aesthetic, you really need to see this R32 in person to understand its appeal and why its owner invested over half a million dollars into the build.
Another standout was Cam Cocalis and his LS3 Powered GT86, housed in the Toyo Tires Treadpass. Working from the roll cage outward, Cam chopped the front of his car to fabricate the unique, fully-tubbed chassis. In addition to striking visual cues, this GT86 boasts a host of upgrades, including cantilever suspension.
It wouldn’t be SEMA without the infamous rollout. Custom cars, trucks, bikes and everything in between lined the streets as cheering fans said goodbye to another year’s event.
To see more of our work and learn more about the 2022 SEMA Show, please view our videos on Vibrant Performance’s YouTube channel.
J3P | 2023 New Years Blog
It’s difficult to believe that 2022 has come to an end. In a year that felt so long, yet so short at the same time, our team has been blessed to take on amazing projects and work with some of the most talented creators and clients in the industry.
We kicked off 2022 with a trip to rural Ottawa, shooting a magazine feature with Carl Menard and his 1972 Super Beetle. The negative thirty degree temps and ice-slicked roads didn’t stop us from capturing one of our favourite photo sets, and the adventure set the tone for the year.
We produced three major brand campaigns, including a winter-themed campaign for Porsche global. We shot with some incredible people and travelled all around Canada and the US, with highlights including Importfest, Eurokracy, SEMA, PRI and more.
We expanded our offering, shifting into a full-service agency model. We better defined our subbrands, keeping J3P Collective focused on stance, merch, and entertainment, while showcasing our agency offering through The Bureau.
And though the year was filled with joy and adventure, we also experienced a tremendous loss as we said goodbye to our dear friend and team member, David Johnston. David, best known as @unseen.prods, was a passionate creator and photographer with a smile that always brightened up a room. There are not enough words to express what David meant to us and we are forever grateful for the time we got to spend with him.
As we look to 2023, we are beyond grateful for all the support from clients, friends and family. We look forward to sharing a new year of adventures, so please stay tuned to see what’s next!
- The J3P Team
2022 Performance Racing Industry Trade Show (PRI)
After a fast-paced trip to Las Vegas for SEMA, our friends at Vibrant Performance asked us to join them again for the annual Performance Racing Industry Trade Show (PRI) in Indianapolis Indiana. The event, which was held from December 8th to 10th at the Indiana Convention Centre and Lucas Oil stadium featured more than 1,100 exhibitors in over 3,300 booths, showcasing the latest products, services, and testing technologies for the racing industry.
We were on the West Coast, but couldn't pass up an opportunity to join our friends and see the latest in race technology. So, we wrapped our meetings and boarded a redeye flight from Vancouver, British Columbia, to Toronto Ontario, where a car was waiting with our equipment. Two five hour energy shots and an eight hour drive later, we made it to Indianapolis.
At the show, our friends at Vibrant Performance featured new products such as the long-awaited 3 into 1 Slip Fit Merge Collectors, and HD Clamp Assemblies, but the star of the show was their featured booth car: Cody Sanders’ 4,000 Horsepower Mustang GT500, named Blue Angel.
Blue Angel is the passion project between Cody Sanders, owner of Cody Cattle Company in Paris Texas and Manny Alvarez, the owner and driving force behind HPP Racing in Garland Texas. Their vision? to create a breathtaking vehicle built for one thing and one thing only - to go after the No Prep King Title.
To see more of our work and learn more about Blue Angel and the 2022 PRI Show, please view our videos on the Vibrant Performance YouTube channel.
History In Ink
It’s no surprise that tattoos have become a mainstay in western culture. With a proliferation of studios, styles and canvases alike, one can be hard-pressed to find what’s special about this historic art form.
Technology has allowed tattoo artists to take on a whole new dimension of art work: hyper realism, micro tattoos and others may not have been possible before - but artists are now exploring a new realm of possibilities. To truly understand the impact of tattoo culture, a number of artists are going back to tattooing in a traditional style - using the inks, methods and applications that originated this historic art form.
Follow along as we document artist Curtis Rushton, as he builds a traditional body suit in the Japanese style of tattooing.
EVOLUTION: J3P COLLECTIVE AND INTRODUCING THE BUREAU.
They say the only constant is change. At J3P, our team embraces this philosophy with every project we take on - which is why we want to bring our audience up to speed on some of the positive changes we’ve experienced in 2022.
First, we’ve expanded our offering. Yes, we love to shoot, but that’s just a sample of our expertise. We’re also skilled in audio production, web development, copywriting, graphic design and beyond. To highlight these areas, we’ve rebranded our creative agency division from J3P Studio to The Bureau.
This rebrand allows us to focus our channels, and keep J3P Collective true to stance-themed content, clothing and merchandise.
We’ve also added to our roster of talented creators, allowing us to explore new mediums and genres.
To everyone who has supported us, we want to say thank you. Our growth wouldn’t be possible with the help of our family, friends, clients and audience.
- Team J3P.
365 Days. One Incredible Year.
2021 - what a year - three hundred and sixty-five days have never felt so action-packed.
We may have been quiet, but don’t mistake our lack of communication for lack of excitement.
Despite two provincial lockdowns, our team has been building the J3P brand and creating
exciting content for our clients during one of the strangest, yet most exciting years to date.
2021 started off with a bang. Our team moved into a new office, creating a collaborative space
where we shoot, edit, write, record, and generally have a lot of fun. We kicked off a team
podcast, dropped new merch and got the chance to work on several amazing projects.
In addition to creating two unique ad campaigns for Porsche Canada, we got the opportunity to
work with Toyota on the launch of their C-HR sustainment plan and created exhilarating, on-
track content with the Toronto Maple Leafs. We supported the re-brand and web-development
of a popular Toronto coffee shop and launched a performance series where we got to build the
ultimate daily-driver.
We traveled a lot – driving out of province, covering Eurokracy 2021 in Montreal, to out of
country, covering the SEMA show in Las Vegas. Not to mention all the small trips in between.
Our team has expended, and so has our reach. We are beyond grateful for all the support from
our clients, friends, and family. 2022 came out of nowhere, but we’re excited to tackle a whole
new year of adventures. Please stay tuned to see what’s next.
- Team J3P.CO
FIRST DRIVE: J3P TESTS THE ALL-NEW BMW M3 COMPETITION
This month, a few members of the J3P team were invited to experience the all-new 2021 BMW M3 Competition Sedan. Here’s what the guys had to say:
James Hall | Founder / Creative Principle
JH: Working as an automotive photographer, I’ve been fortunate enough to experience a lot of cool cars. High-horsepower, extensive modifications or exceedingly rare units are par for the course when it comes to this business. I’m naturally a bit desensitized when a new car launches. Still, the BMW M3 is such an icon and we were stoked on the invitation to drive it firsthand.
Visually, the new M3 Competition is a statement. Love it or hate it, it has presence and BMW is standing by its design choices. But, there is a slight disconnect between the new M3’s visuals, and the feeling behind the wheel. Where the exterior is aggressive and highly stylized, the drive is predictable, refined and muted - it just doesn’t have the “scare you” factor that most people associate with an “M” Car. But, that just speaks volumes to BMW’s engineering department. The new M3 really handles well when pushed through turns, and would make a great daily driver for anyone looking to move into the world of M Performance.
If purchasing this car for myself, I’d absolutely go for a Black M4 Competition Coupe with a full carbon package (including seats). I’d also be looking into aftermarket updates to allow the car to have a bit more push and character, possibly a tune and an exhaust.
Ilja Lukac | Producer / Manager
IL: The BMW M3 is always a conversation starter. To my mind, every car-person has an M3 generation which they consider to be the pinnacle of performance. I know James loves the E92’s V8 (and he’s right, it’s awesome), but I’m a hardened fan of the E46 generation - It’s pure, lightweight and has that indescribable feeling that only a straight-six BMW engine can provide. It should stand to reason that I’d hate the new G80 M3 platform… but I don’t. In fact, I think in some odd way, BMW has gone back to their roots with this car.
Handling is crisp, and the car feels light on its feet. There's very little body roll in corners, and zero plow under hard braking. 500+ horsepower is a lot in a car like this, yet the delivery is smooth and linear albeit slightly restrained.
Now, this could be because we received our test unit with a whopping 57 delivery kilometers, but I doubt a proper run-in period will make it feel more exhilarating. Sadly, this is a car you have to push extremely hard to feel rewarded.
If purchasing this car for myself, I’d select an M3 Sedan in Isle-of-Man Green. The Carbon sport seats are a must, but I’d wait for the manual gearbox, as I think you’d be able to get a little more out it under everyday conditions.
Stay tuned for our next blog, as the guys take two high-performance, practical Porsches and put them through their paces. We are working on a lot of cool things and projects for the summer and are very excited to share them all with you!
THE NEW NORMAL: CREATING MEANINGFUL CONTENT IN THE CURRENT CLIMATE
In the world of commercial production, it is often suggested that there were two golden ages of advertising: the 1960’s and late 1980’s. These were eras of big ideas and even bigger client budgets – a time of larger-than-life productIons and personalities – but, times have changed.
With the recent change in our global climate, commercial production has been turned on its head, forcing brands and creators alike to be more agile, quick-thinking and resourceful than ever. This begs the question: Are we in the next golden age of advertising?
Sure, we may be far from the days of two-helicoptor rigs, Pansoscan MK-3 Cameras and a crew of editors working around the clock, but it’s incredible to see what can be done with a simple Sony Alpha A7 and a driven group of talented creators.
When safety and minimalism reign supreme, the creator is forced to go the extra mile to tell their client’s story. With the right team, this often produces the truest expression of work, unmarred by overly complex creative direction. The Mission: Bring the vision to life. Get it done right.
The dedicated crew at J3P live by the philosophy that you don’t need a complicated production to tell a compelling story. Work smart and delight clients with your creativity.
Written by: Ilja Lukac