Dream Teams: Leaving Everything on the Field with Sebastián Benítez González and Camilo Monzon Navas

Whether it’s eating at each other’s houses, or talking about the latest in politics, TV shows and soccer, Sebastián ‘Sebas’ Benítez González and Camilo ‘Cami’ Monzon Navas’ friendship is one of fun, substance and deep meaning.

But, for the TANK Worldwide executive creative director and global creative director respectively, it’s also one of extreme productivity - something that’s long manifested since the two first met each other in 2008, over 15 years ago. 

Working for Y&R in Colombia at the time, the pair recall that, as a matter of fact, they only really saw each other during meetings and events, what with being assigned to different teams. 

That didn’t stop either of them from forming opinions, however. According to Sebas, he was instantly struck by the way Camilo dressed: leather jackets, chains around his waist, and skateboarding shoes. “It made sense because he skated, played drums and was in a punk band at the time, but coming from the interior of Colombia - a more conservative area - and seeing the way he presented himself, I immediately thought that this guy had to be a good creative,” he says. “And, my intuition proved to be correct.”

Meanwhile, Cami recalls that he instantly took notice of Sebas’ height (as well as the discipline and rigour with which he conducted himself and his work). “Sometime later, I was told that Sebas had also been a professional soccer player in Colombia,” he continues. “Suddenly, the discipline and daily consistency he showed made total sense to me. That creative sports philosophy is something we adopted in our way of working, and became something that continues to drive how we operate today.”

  

Nevertheless, this ‘Dream Team’ is not actually one that’s marked by a pair immediately deciding to clasp hands and take an agency-swapping leap of faith. Rather, in 2009, Camilo would depart for Lowe SSP3, while Sebas would move to Grey Colombia… a place Camilo would eventually join in 2013, after which time the pair were officially brought together as a creative team. 

Right away, the two would add creative fuel to the fire. To this day, Sebas still remembers their first joint creative foray: a campaign to invite people to a 10 kilometre race, organised by Allianz (one of their clients at the time). “It was a simple campaign that invited non-professional runners to participate,” he says. “So, for this, we put the characteristic number participants wear on their chests onto the everyday clothes of common people.”

But, the pair both have other projects that come to mind when contemplating career favourites. For Cami, the first is a piece of work the duo delivered for Greenpeace, titled ‘Earth is Saying’. “It was an incredible idea from the point of view of technology, talent and context,” he explains. “It will always be a great idea to talk about sustainability and raise awareness of why it is important to give a voice to what happens on our home planet, Earth.”

On the other hand, the second project that comes to mind was actually for CONMEBOL, the organisation that governs South American soccer (equivalent to UEFA). Tasked with generating new conceptual and visual brand positioning, he says that the project was truly special - connecting the best of two worlds, creativity and sports, for the soccer aficionados. 

Unsurprisingly, Sebas also mentions a soccer-related project when listing his all-time highlights. Specifically, he references ‘The Game That Never Was’, a project he calls “beautiful” which allowed the two, along with many others, to pay tribute to the victims of one of the world’s greatest sporting tragedies, the Chapecoense accident. 

Successes aside however, friendship doesn’t preclude the possibility of disagreements and frustrations. But, both acknowledge that this part of the business, and ultimately, enables the strengthening of creative output. 

“If you know how to deal with it, and above all, communicate with your partner clearly and respectfully, it will always be welcome,” Cami says. “Disagreements enrich the ideas. Different POVs make bigger ideas more powerful. We welcome disagreements with good arguments, respect and clear communication. Besides, between brothers you will always have differences, but there is nothing that cannot be solved by talking over a good Scotch.”

While Sebas admits that he sometimes struggles with the part where he has to disagree, describing himself as someone who “has a hard time saying no,” despite the fact that saying yes to everything doesn’t always have the “positive impact you intend it to have,” he agrees that learning to do this healthily is essential. 

“Creative disagreements are part of the dynamics of the process,” he adds. “This is why discussions, adaptability, and respect for each other's work are so important, in order to find common ground in the midst of differences.”

To this end, Sebas also expands, noting that this mutual respect, admiration and sense of brotherhood is exactly why the duo are effective. “We complement each other well because we both have a good capacity for adaptation, endurance and resilience, which I feel has also led our teams to overcome the challenges that we face in the industry,” he notes.

Cami builds on this, comparing their partnership to footballers who develop chemistry from playing together on the same team from a young age. “Understanding and being clear about how the talents of your partner can complement yours is just like [this] - with one glance you already know if you are on the right track or if you should correct the course. In sports and in creativity, there are good matches (projects) and other not-so-good matches. In the end, what matters is that we always leave everything on the field.”

And leave everything on the field they always do. Determined to resonate with audiences, the pair never hesitate to embrace inspiration from the likes of pop culture, art, technology, and even other creative duos (Anselmo Ramos and Gastón Bigio of GUT come to mind), translating it into the beautiful, memorable and impactful. 

But, neither can do this alone. As Sebas puts it: “There are so many creative people out there, and the ones who are saying they can easily step into a role like this are likely lying. Being a successful creative is a rare badge of honour. Not everyone is built for this industry. But, having a good partner will not only raise the quality of the work you develop as a team; a good partner will also make you a better person, who will teach you different things and show you other points of view that will enrich everything you do.”

This is undoubtedly true. In all the reflection of how their careers have intertwined, grown and developed alongside each other, neither Sebas nor Cami hesitate to cite the lessons they’ve learned from each other, which have pushed them to become their best selves. 

“From Sebas, I learned how to play in the creative field,” Cami says. “I listened to all his soccer stories and applied them to my every day. But, even with that, there’s so much from Sebas’ life that I could and want to apply.” 

At the same time, Sebas goes so far as to say that on a personal level, if he were to have a child, Cami would be a good example for them to follow. “And, on a professional level,” he continues, “I have learned that there is always a way, no matter how difficult a challenge seems. Cami always finds impressive ways to accomplish his goals, and that quality is non-negotiable.”

Finishing, he sums up everything about their partnership and what it means in a simple, but elegant fashion. “It’s all about the bonding and the chemistry between you and your creative partner. If you build on that, then you’ll have a much larger chance of success.”