Justin Kingsley
Speaker Bio
He’s been sworn at by two Prime Ministers, fought with a UFC world champion, smoked with Snoop, took Bono for a walk and has been asked by more than one client if he’s out of his mind. Crazy maybe, but not dumb.
In 2013, Justin walked away from a partnership in one of the world’s top creative agencies to embark on a multimedia storytelling quest. In the decade since, he’s authored four books (including three national best-sellers!) written and directed two feature documentaries, made over 100 hours of television, developed slogans for FIFA world cups, and created a brand vision for Destination Indigenous that is being adopted across the planet.
He works with global brands, world champions, reputed museums and his local pizzeria.
His two first books were No.1 National Bestsellers in Canada – The Way of the Fight (which was originally published in the US was also a NY Times Bestseller) and Weology: How Everybody Wins When We Comes Before Me.
Justin wrote his third book in French. Le livre du don (Flammarion 2017) explores humanity’s complex relationship with the act of giving (it was on the least-sellers list…). His most recent book, the biography of Kashtin musicIan Florent Vollant titled Ninanimishken – I walk against the wind – was published in 2022 and is another best-seller.
On screens, Justin co-wrote and directed – with Oscar-nominated Roger Frappier – feature documentary Chaakapesh, the Trickster’s Quest. He also wrote and directed feature documentary Beautified, which tells the true story of a man who is under house arrest but who is never home (currently in post-production). In television, he was show-runner for three seasons of the hit series 24CH (CTV, TSN, RDS), and also wrote a season of Big Rig Warriors (a classic!).
One thing he’s always loved developing are creative strategies and slogans.
– Developed the We Can//Oui Can campaign for Canada Soccer at the Qatar World Cup.
– Develop The Original Original slogan and brand platform for Destination Indigenous
– Co-developed the slogan and vision for the winning bid to host FIFA 2026 World Cup: United As One (Canada, Mexico, USA).
– Co-created the slogan and vision for the 2015 Women’s World Cup of Soccer – To a Greater Goal/Vers le grand but. It’s a dual-statement about athletic victory and gender equality (a slow-burner I guess…).
– Led the rebranding process of Montreal’s Major League soccer franchise and, despite generating record jersey sales and 2.1-billion page-impressions at launch (name a bigger one), the controversial rebrand was canceled following fan outrage.
Before this he was a partner at Sid Lee, one of the world’s five best creative agencies, according to Forbes, and worked in other Montreal creative shops.
– For UFC World Champion, developed award-winning brand and creative strategy.
– For Adidas at the 2012 London Olympics, his Take the Stage campaign won international acclaim and awards. Adidas was voted 2012 UK Brand of the Year.
– For LucasFilms and X3 Productions, turned Star Wars and Indiana Jones into global museum exhibitions.
– For VANOC, wrote the slogan for the 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympics– With Glowing Hearts/Des plus brillants exploits.
Before making the jump to the Montreal creative world, Justin worked in media.
– Press Secretary in the Prime Minister’s Office for the Right Honourable Paul Martin and responsible for economic portfolios in the communications directorate of the PMO in 2003-4.
– Chief, Media Relations and Spokesman at Communication Canada, specializing in crisis management, the sponsorship question (and award-winning sweat stains).
– International correspondent for The Canadian Press, as well as a columnist for the Montreal Gazette and magazine writer whose work appears in Canadian Geographic, Ottawa City Magazine, and many others.
An award-winning photographer, Justin’s work has been featured in exhibitions at Montreal’s reputed PHI Centre, as well as Toronto’s renowned international festival Scotiabank Contact. He was a founding member of purist photography movement Contrast. He’s all film and available light, obviously.
Marketing Magazine once named him one of Canada’s most creative people. He is Franco-Ontarian, born and raised in Ottawa.
Today, Justin serves as the official spokesperson for Moisson Montréal, Canada’s largest food bank. He has also voluntarily served on the Jane Goodall Institute Board of Directors, as well as Girls20.
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