Francisca del Basto
Associate Creative Director / Creative Director / Art Director
Chilean creative who’s made it through four countries, multiple time zones, and more coffee than I’d like to admit. People say I make this job look fun, but I blame my contagious laugh. It has a mind of its own.
A two-time Young Lions winner (2023, 2024), selected for See It Be It El Sol 2025, and named one of Ad Age’s 92 Creatives to Watch 2026. With 10 years of experience, I’ve spent the past four in California, bringing a cultural perspective to everything I create. Always with joy.
Today, I’m an Associate Creative Director at McKinney Cheil Los Angeles, and I’ve also worked as a Creative Director in Chile. No matter the role, I carry art direction in my heart. I believe the best ideas first catch the eye and then go straight to the heart.
Some of the clients I have worked with:
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Ross / Dress for Less
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Coca Cola Company
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UN Women
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USPS
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Cigna
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Mastercard
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League of Legends
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Activision Blizzard
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Call of Duty
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Diablo IV
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Chivas Regal
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Zegna
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New York Lottery
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Pernod Ricard
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Falabella / Fpay
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La Caixa Barcelona
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Banco BCI
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Entel
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Agrosuper / Super Cerdo
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Viña Santa Rita
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Espumante Chile
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Fundación Anita
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Banmédica
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Consorcio
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Pharma: Pfizer, AstraZeneca
and Exact Sciences (Cologuard)
Professional Experience
McKinney - Cheil
2025 - Present
Associate Creative Director / California, United States
As Associate Creative Director at McKinney, I shape creative for Ross in the U.S. general market and contribute to agency pitches, bringing multicultural ideas to life.
Casanova McCann
2022 - 2025
Associate Creative Director / California, United States
As Associate Creative Director at Casanova McCann, I lead a creative team focused on developing campaigns that engage the U.S. Latino community. I manage multiple brand projects, contribute to agency pitches, and ensure culturally relevant messaging across all efforts.
Opendor Agency
2020 - 2022
Creative Director / Chile, Santiago
As Creative Director at Opendor, I led the creative team to ensure an impactful brand presence during the successful regional launch of Fpay Falabella, a digital wallet for one of the largest retail groups in Latin America. The launch spanned Chile, Perú, and Colombia, adapting creative approaches to each market’s unique audience.
McCann Santiago
2019 - 2022
Senior Creative Art Director / Chile, Santiago
As Senior Art Director at McCann Santiago, I managed creative projects for major brands such as Mastercard and the United Nations, developing compelling visual campaigns that aligned with brand goals and connected with diverse audiences.
BigUp Agency
2018 - 2019
Senior Creative Art Director / Barcelona, Spain
In Barcelona at Big Up Agency, I took charge of the creative team in developing campaigns for high-profile brands such as Zegna and Espiroflex. I was responsible for guiding the creative vision and ensuring the delivery of innovative and effective advertising solutions.
McCann Barcelona
2019
Creative Art Director / Barcelona, Spain
At McCann Barcelona, I contributed to the creative team by developing concepts and visual assets for clients such as La Caixa Bank. Although my time there was brief due to pursuing a Master’s in Art Direction, I was actively involved in supporting the team and delivering impactful campaign materials.
McCann Santiago
2015 - 2017
Junior Creative Art Director / Santiago, Chile.
Creative Internship in Art Direction
At McCann Santiago, I began my career working on campaigns for brands such as Coca-Cola and Super Cerdo. I started as an intern and was later offered a permanent position due to my contributions and dedication. This experience laid a strong foundation for my growth in the creative industry.
Recognitions
Ad Age’s 92 Creatives to Watch 2026 Ad Age
See It Be it El Sol 2025 Cannes Lions Initiative
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Impacto Creativo 2025 Universidad del Desarrollo Chile​
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Lürzer's Archive 2024 This is Not Art / Peta Latino
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Young Lions Winner U.S Hispanic 2024 Disconnection Crasher / Xfinity
Addy 2024 Silver - Film Video & Sound: Internet Commercial Campaign Those Were Not Stories / Diablo IV Activision
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Addy 2024 Bronze - Film Video & Sound: Branded Content & Entertainment Online, Single AD Over :60 Those Were Not Stories / Diablo IV Activision
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Addy 2024 Bronze - Film Video & Sound: Internet Commercial Single Spot, Any Lenght Those Were Not Stories / Diablo IV Activision
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Fiap 2024 Shortlist - Branded Content Programa de Ficción
Those Were Not Stories / Diablo IV Activision
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Fiap 2024 Shortlist - Creatividad efectiva, aporte cultural y/o multicultural Those Were Not Stories / Diablo IV Activision
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Fiap 2024 Shortlist - Mejor uso de la cultura local
Those Were Not Stories / Diablo IV Activision
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ThinkLA 2024 Idea Awards Finalist - Best Entertainment Campaign
Those Were Not Stories / Diablo IV Activision
Jury ACHAP Festival Chile 2023 Jury Shortlist / Creatives abroad
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Young Lions Winner U.S Hispanic 2023 The Smart Play / Wells Fargo
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Festival of Media 2021 Best Launch Campaign Fpay Falabella Chile
ACHAP Silver 2020 UN Women Campaign
Editorial Cover Publication "Por Ella" 2020 International Magazine Marika
Editorial Publication "The Modern Lisa" 2020 International Magazine Marika
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Cavanza 2015 Wine's Naming Santa Rita Chile
Education
Graduate Degree
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Master in Advertising, Fashion Styling, and Visual Media. LCI Barcelona, Spain.
Higher Education
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Bachelor's in Advertising with Distinction / Universidad del Desarrollo, Santiago, Chile.
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Exchange Program / Universidad Argentina de la Empresa, Buenos Aires, Argentina.
Courses
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Digital Creativity Course / Brother Ad.
Santiago, Chile. -
Advanced Retouching Course / Pixelate.
Santiago, Chile.
Primary & Secundary
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The Mayflower School / Santiago, Chile.
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St. George College North / Buenos Aires, Argentina.
Press
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Ad Age’s 92 Creatives to Watch 2026 (Read)
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Produ 2025 International Women's day (Read)
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AdLatina 2024 Young Lions Winner U.S Hispanic (Read)
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Young Lions Winner U.S Hispanic Produ 2024 (Read)
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Circulo de Creativos 2024 Young Lions Winner U.S Hispanic (Read)
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LatinSpots This Is Not Art PETA Latino 2024 (Read)
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This Is Not Art PETA Latino Produ 2024 (Read)
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The Power of Creativity 2024 Multicultural Marketing Resources (Read)
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Young Lions Winner U.S Hispanic Produ 2023 (Read)
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Jury ACHAP Festival Chile 2023 (Read)
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Circulo de Creativos 2023 Young Lions Winner U.S Hispanic (Read)
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ACHAP Chile Young Lions Winner U.S Hispanic 2023 (Read)
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UDD Talk by alumni Francisca del Basto on Cannes Young Lions 2023 (Read)
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LatinSpots UN Women Campaign 2019 (Read)
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Revista G7 UN Women Campaign 2019 (Read)
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UN Women Ecuador website - Article UN Woman Campaign (Read)
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Article "The Modern Lisa" Purpura Issue Digital Magazine, Spain 2020 (Read)
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Cavanza 2015 Wine's Naming Santa Rita Chile 2015 (Read)