Dream Teams: How Frank Megna and Fábio Siqueira Push Each Other to a Better Place

The fun thing about partnerships within the industry is that there are so many recipes to establish an effective one. Sure, there’s got to be a few consistent ingredients – chemistry, a sense of mutual respect, and of course, good work product – but beyond that, it’s simply the dealer's choice when it comes to the subject building it effectively. 

For instance, what happens when you take a white guy from the Beaches who studied history (and who and bikes to work every day – even in the winter), and a dude from Recife, Brazil who studied hunting (and takes the TTC), and ask them to collaborate in order to produce some of the best creative of their lives? How does that come together meaningfully?

According to Lifelong Crush associate creative directors Frank Megna and Fábio Siqueira, the answer is multifaceted, but it started with a strong first interaction. 

In their case, the two were first introduced in 2015, at the agency then known as SapientNitro (now Publicis Sapient, although Frank observes that the name seems to change every year). Set up by a recruiter, the pair decided they ought to go on a blind date to test the waters, and so, on what proved a fateful day, they would meet on the busy corner of Queen and Spadina. 

To this day, both can still recall their first impressions. “I got there before Frank, and I was literally judging everybody by their look,” says Fábio. “I know that’s not a nice thing to do, so don’t judge me now, but I’m good at it – I get it right almost every time! And I did with him. He looked younger and smarter than me. He’s still both those things.”

Meanwhile, Frank returns the respect, adding that his initial take was that “This guy looks pretty cool… a lot cooler than me. (And a lot older, too).”

Both would validate their assessments over two pints and a great chat at a Tex Mex bar. Their diverse backgrounds – other than the fact that they’re both Pisces – were immediately complementary, as each brought unique perspectives and cultural references based on their own life experiences. 

Moreover, Frank was struck by the fact that Fábio was “clever as hell, had no appetite for bullshit, and was just an all-around good dude” – something he notes hasn’t changed after nine years, other than the fact that he now knows Fábio isn’t that much cooler. 

So, how did this positive first encounter translate into an actual creative assignment? As it turns out, pretty well. In their first collaboration, Frank and Fábio would be tasked with a credit card campaign for the bank, First Niagara. And, while the duo would overcome some hiccups and the greenness of their relationship, the opportunity to feel out each other’s processes proved invaluable, as they established the fact that they’d have no issues working together. 

Additionally, as a bonus, this opportunity would grant Fábio a solid introduction to the game of hockey. “At the time, I’d not had the opportunity to work with a bank as a client, so that was new, but also, as a good Brazilian, I didn’t know anything about hockey,” he explains. “So, considering the fact that First Niagara sponsored the Buffalo Sabers and Pittsburgh Penguins, there was also that learning curve.”

Luckily, Frank would share the weight of responsibility, learning the ins and outs of financial institutions alongside his teammate, while also teaching him about Canada’s national winter sport… although, Fábio adds: “To be honest, I still don’t completely understand it. The only thing I know is that the Maple Leafs always lose in the playoffs!”     

Truthfully, that’s all he needs to know, as creatively speaking, since then, the pair have made the good choice of not taking a page out of the Leafs’ playoff playbook. Rather, they’ve gone on to produce a plethora of strong, successful pieces – something highlighted effectively through their proudest career collaboration. 

Specifically, this honour goes to their work for Dairy Farmers of Ontario on the ‘Milk and Cookies’ campaign, which they did (in partnership with SickKids) over the past holiday season. “From ideation to execution, and the multiple rounds of approvals, it was super challenging, but also really special in the end,” Fábio says. 

Frank agrees wholeheartedly, emphasising the fact that they had to fight hard for that one. “But, it was totally worth it,” he continues. “The end result was incredibly satisfying, both for the creative output, and the way it did something positive for sick children.”

Of course, heaps of mutual respect do not rule out creative disagreement. For a start, Frank laments that while he’s always trying to make historical references in ads, Fábio consistently vetoes them. 

“In pretty much every project we work on, he has a history-based idea,” Fábio confirms. “To be fair, he has a degree in history, so I think that’s expected.”

On a more serious note, however, the pair are firm believers that disagreement is, in fact, a crucial part of the creative process. “If you have a partner that always agrees with you, get out of that relationship – it’s probably not a healthy one,” Fábio warns. “You need someone who can challenge and push your ideas to a better place. Be comfortable being uncomfortable.”

That said, embracing the uncomfortable doesn’t mean being content with disrespect – it just means being open and honest. Frank builds on this, stating that at this point in their relationship, he and Fábio can just tell the other that they’re not into a specific idea. “No kid gloves or emotional strife. If we can’t convince each other that an insight or concept is worth pursuing, we usually discard it.”

And, in the rare occurrences where one of them can’t seem to back down, they take that passion as a sign to keep the idea in the deck. “We’ve always been very respectful of each other when it comes to that,” Fábio comments. “The rule is, if I don’t agree with what he says, I need to have a ‘why’ with a good rationale, and vice-versa.”

Truly, there’s a lot of merit to this concept. Having a partner means more opinions, a second set of eyes, and room for disagreement. So, when all of these things amalgamate to produce a sharp, well-honed idea, the benefits are obvious.

In fact, Frank would go so far as to say that aside from the fact that “solo riffing isn’t nearly as fun”, ideating with a partner is, in his opinion, the best part of the job. “I love just throwing out the dumbest ideas – the ideas the client will never let us do – and then eventually the good ones,” he remarks. “And, when you have the same partner for almost a decade, you get to good ideas faster. There’s a momentum that comes about when the two of us latch onto a nice insight. A thought gains steam and if we’re both talking non-stop, building on it and fine-tuning it, we know it’s one worth keeping.”

Fábio concurs, and expresses that in an industry that can be “a little overwhelming at times”, and which can “take a toll on your mental health”, having a partner who can support you through the ups and downs, and provides a sense of freedom and safety to share bad ideas, is a wonderful thing. 

“And, it’s great for taking time off work,” he jokes. “It’s awesome to have someone you can trust so when you come back, the work is done!”

Speaking of non-office-related hours, Frank and Fábio also bolster the strength of their partnership by simply being friends outside of work. Describing it as something which comes pretty naturally after all these years, they literally have cottages beside each other on Lake Simcoe, and at this point, Fábio reckons that Frank knows all his friends, and vice versa… although both emphasise that they make sure not to overdo it, given they already spend eight hours a day together. 

So, if nine years of success and friendship can be equated to a strong partnership, then clearly, the Lifelong Crush duo are doing it right. But, there’s one last thing which truly lends them strength, and that’s the desire to continually learn from and push each other for better, even after all this time. 

“I knew how to work hard, but I learned how to work even harder from Fábio,” Frank says. “I learned from his attention to detail, his passion for work… and his sneaker knowledge. Truly, that guy’s work ethic is unbelievable, and it rubs off.”

Fábio, on the other hand, finds one of the coolest things Frank has to offer in this regard to be his incredible knowledge of history, and, specifically, laneways. “Did you know that a small percentage of Toronto’s more than 3,000 public laneways have a name, and some of those names are delightfully strange with brilliant backstories? Find him on LinkedIn and ask him about it,” he insists, before adding that Frank doesn’t actually like LinkedIn, so he probably won’t respond. 

“Jokes aside,” he finishes, “nine years later, thanks to that kind of a blind date set up by the cupid… I mean destiny… I mean, recruiter, the rest is history. Frank’s been my longest relationship.”