Sebastián Sánchez Giraldo isn’t just a creative—he’s a force of nature in the advertising world. With roots in a family of filmmakers and advertisers, he got his start at just 19, juggling agency work by day and university by night, all while raising a son.

Now Chief Creative Officer at Manifiesto, he leads dynamic teams in Madrid and Barcelona, pushing boundaries with a style grounded in experimentation, social consciousness, and raw authenticity. From launching campaigns that reshape social issues to embracing AI and urban culture, Sebastián’s journey is proof that bold ideas—and the people brave enough to pursue them—can still change the game.

How did you first get into the industry?

I come from a family of advertisers and filmmakers. After finishing school, I traveled to NYC to study English, and since my brother was an art director at Conill Satchi & Satchi and well-connected in the industry, he introduced me to Manny Vidal, owner of The Vidal Partnership, and Sandra Alfaro, Account Director at the agency at that time (now CEO at GUT USA).

After a nice chat, they offered me an internship in the creative department, where I worked on brands like Heineken, Buchanan’s, The Home Depot, and Sprint. That was my first date with advertising, and it went really well—I'd say I fell in love with it.

Where are you based now and who do you work for?

Today, I’m part of the Manifiesto team, a Spanish independent agency. I currently work as Chief Creative Director, responsible for the Madrid and Barcelona offices, leading a team of 40-50 people in each city and managing over 25 clients.

What is your personal background and what role did it play in your career?

My professional training comes from the agencies where I’ve worked, and my greatest teachers have been my bosses and colleagues from whom I’ve learned—and continue learning. As I mentioned earlier, I started very young in this field. At 19, life gave me the best gift—my son, Martín. He was the driving force that pushed me to start working young.

During the day, I was at the agency, and at night, I took classes at two universities: Jorge Tadeo Lozano University, where I graduated as a professional in Advertising, and the Politécnico Gran Colombiano University, where I earned a degree in Marketing and Advertising. After finishing my studies, I studied photography, joined the Roger Hatchuel School program at Cannes Lions, and throughout my career, I’ve certified in various programs related to Strategy, Technology, and social media, among others.

If you weren’t in your current industry, what would you be doing?

I’ve always wanted to be a film director, and I sometimes think about it. I’d love to try and study film. On the other hand, I’m passionate about cooking—I own a restaurant and I love to cook. I think that could be a great place for me if I weren’t working in advertising.

Can you explain your creative process? What makes it unique?

My creative process is based on finding problems. Without good problems, there are no good ideas. Now, finding a good problem is no easy task, and that’s why I work very closely with the Data (intelligence) team, who are constantly gathering information about market behavior and consumers.

Then, we interpret the data together with the planning team. I’ve never been a big fan of the departmental hierarchy, so I work in small, cross-functional teams that always include a creative, a planner, and someone from data.

How would you describe your style?

Definitely from a young age, I decided that the path is to experiment. Experiment with technology, with social media, experiment and test the market and the consumer. I’m a preacher of the now, the voice of the new generations.

If we don’t move forward with them, we’ll become shadows. But above all, something that has always caught my attention is protest—manifesting what’s fair, what’s right, and fighting for equality for everyone on this planet. If we’re capable of selling products that are often unnecessary, we also have the responsibility to use our talent for the planet and humanity.

Which individuals do you gain inspiration from? Do you have any heroes in the industry?

I’m inspired by several people—Tarantino, Murakami, great storytellers. Jacob Collier with his perfect pitch, my mom, the most warrior-like and courageous woman I’ve ever known. I don’t have heroes in the industry, but I do have role models. Anselmo Ramos, Gaston Vigio, Nils Leonard, and Greg Hahn. Greats, giants, believers in themselves.

What tips would you give to aspiring creatives looking for work?

The first thing is to get informed about what’s happening in the industry, stay updated, consume as much information as you can—not just from your country, but from around the world.

It’s amazing, but with all the technologies we have, with media offering us immediate information, I still meet many aspiring creatives who have little idea about what's going on in the communications world. Then, authenticity—if we lose that, we’re not attractive.

Young creatives are in a moment to surprise, not to copy behaviours to be accepted. If Gen Z has taught us anything, it’s that their authentic way of living life made everyone pay attention to them. They changed the rules. They are today’s future entrepreneurs, and they didn’t do it by innovating. They did it by intervening in what was already invented, adding their own touch, without caring about what others think.

Many see it as disrespect, but it’s actually a statement—a stance on their authenticity. Lastly, show your talent. If you write, I want to see what you write—texts, tweets, written messages. If you draw, I want to see your art applied to life, to your daily routine. If you’re in audiovisuals, show me your reels, your non-work-related content. Show your essence, your hobbies, and who you really are.

What tips would you give to other professionals to get more clients?

There’s the easy path, which is to keep doing work where you leave no personal mark. It’s not bad, it’s paid decently, you do volume and, well, numbers. That type of work will continue existing, and there will be many clients. Now, if you like this business and want to shine and attract future clients, creativity will be your main differentiator. "Ideas bring business, not the other way around."

This is debatable for some, but the reality is that I don’t know any creatives who are passionate about their work and defend their thinking and are doing badly. To achieve that, you need to build a partnership with your clients, understanding that each one has a position in the equation and that they are complementary.

The client knows their business best, and the agency knows how to give visibility to a product. When that formula works, it creates a kind of friction that only brings good things. In summary, if you want clients and to bill, pick up a stone—whether it’s a good or bad client, with money or little money, you’ll find one.

If you want to build great relationships and be relevant in the market, work with clients who value your work and want to team up. The result will be more people (clients) knocking on your door.

Can you share a memorable experience from your career journey that shaped your approach to creativity?

The best experience in my career was when I decided to step away from the agency world for a few years. It might sound strange, but I can assure you it was the best decision I’ve made in my almost 20 years of career.

Taking a break to breathe is important—it allows you to see things from a different angle and explore your creativity from unexplored places. In my case, I didn’t leave my profession behind, quite the opposite—I used everything I had learned to create my own brand.

A restaurant with a unique concept, an idea that was approved only by me and my partner (my business partner), with no limits, no conditions, no brief dictated by a team of CMOs, but with clear objectives. This process lasted almost four years, where my creative muscle was tested with the sole goal of connecting with people in the universe we created.

Knowing I would return to the field, I enjoyed a more objective view from the stands of the agency world. I was able to see, analyze, remember, and learn from the constant mistakes we make. One of the things that penalizes us in this profession is the bubble we live in, where only a few hold an absolute truth, and regardless of the quality of the work, we praise meaningless work, idolizing and feeding egos—both our own and others’—seeking rewards.

When I returned, with a bit of fear of being out of shape, the opposite happened—I was in a great moment, with a more complete business vision. I sought the opportunity to step out and breathe. You’ll understand when you do it.

What kind of tools/kit/software could you not do without?

Internet, Runway, ChatGPT, Midjourney, the Adobe suite, my laptop, TikTok, my Moleskine...

What’s your secret to staying inspired and motivated?

Reading, reading a lot. Staying immersed in everything happening in the industry and in technology. Then, exploring the daily-born startups. I’m always surprised by them. Lastly, getting to know the different urban subcultures I encounter along the way. I’m a curious and restless person. I like to understand the "why" of things and their origins.

What’s the work achievement you’re most proud of?

When I was a copywriter at Y&R Colombia, we won the first mobile lion for the country. Beyond the award, which filled us with joy, it’s what we achieved with the project. I was born in a resource-rich country, a country that has everything needed to survive for centuries, Colombia has everything other countries have.

But its mismanagement has led to overwhelming poverty. Kid Rescue was a project we worked on with Fundación Telefónica, an organization that, among its many tasks, works to protect children's rights. In Colombia, a large portion of the child population works in the streets, though it’s decreasing, but it’s a hard problem to eradicate.

In this case, we combined existing tools and technologies to create a triangulation that allowed Fundación Telefónica to identify where the children worked, so they could share that information with authorities to tackle the issue. The system was very simple—we empowered people to use an app that activated their phone camera; they just had to take a photo of the child, and the photo was geolocated so Fundación could continue the process.

Basically, we gave a meaningful use to a tool we waste time on and depend on. The campaign had a great reception and helped relocate hundreds of children into schools, getting them off the streets. Then came the cherry on top! The UN awarded our work as one of the best initiatives to make the world a better place.

A recognition that fills me with pride and has driven my career to look for new initiatives that help those who need it the most... From that mindset, Billboard Houses for Coca-Cola, Kickin' Rights Cup by APDHE, #LaCenaQueElegí by FELGTBI+, Escape Room Soledad by Fundación "la Caixa," and Save A Stranger Friend by Facebook were born.

As someone with experience in the industry, what trends do you foresee shaping the future of creativity?

Undoubtedly, the use of AI—that’s our gateway to the impossible. It’s a trend that’s here to stay, and those who don’t use it and integrate it into their routine will be left behind. On the other hand, experiences are making a comeback, but the ones that are tangible—the ones that make you feel and vibrate.

Mobile and social media are now a medium, not the center of attraction. After the pandemic, humanity wants to feel again, to live, to explore, and to experience. We’re living in an era where we’re repeating what made us special in the past—vinyl music, cassettes, analog objects. It’s wonderful to see each other face to face again, to value craftsmanship, design, and the handmade.

What do you think sets apart truly exceptional creatives from the rest of the pack?

Their authenticity and constant defence of who they are.

How do you think technology has influenced the creative industries and how have you adapted to these changes?

It’s like we’re in paradise; we learn quickly because technology allows us to. We no longer depend on experts—you can be one. Don’t fear it, enjoy it, play with it, experiment with it. I ask my team to do this, and it has become a tool for excellence.

It’s easy to create a prompt, but it’s difficult to create a valuable one if you don’t have prior knowledge. Technology itself is useless. The more information you have, the more you can leverage it. But what I love the most is time optimization—the ability to live more, to have more time for yourself and your loved ones.

What is the one thing that you would change about the industry?

The ego of those working in this industry. It’s unnecessary and unbearable. It’s the reason for bankruptcies, disrespect, and injustices. Ego and arrogance keep us from being good humans. Not everything is worth it to achieve a goal.

This is a people business—with values, intuitions, and feelings. Our work comes from what we live, what we see, and what we feel. If we want to do our job well, the work environment has to be pure, fun, and kind. The politics of fear doesn’t work.

Any websites, books or resources you would recommend?

Right now, I’m diving deep into Murakami’s bibliography. I recommend "Kafka on the Shore" and "Norwegian Wood." But during a break, I read "A Thousand Splendid Suns" by Khaled Hosseini. I used to love StumbleUpon—it was a random website search tool that was amazing for finding new things, but it shut down :( Now I’ve found a new newsletter that serves the same purpose and has brought me some great sites.