Advertising Services Contract Chile (Contrato de Publicidad)

An Advertising Services Contract Chile (Contrato de Publicidad) is a commercial agreement governed by Código de Comercio Art. 1 and regulated by consumer protection rules under Ley 19.496 Art. 35 (Ley de Protección al Consumidor) by which an advertiser (anunciante) engages an advertising agency (agencia de publicidad) or marketing services provider to create, produce, and place advertising campaigns across traditional and digital media channels in exchange for agreed fees (honorarios de agencia) and pass-through media costs (costos de pauta).

Chilean advertising law sits at the intersection of commercial law, consumer protection, and intellectual property. The Código de Comercio Art. 1 governs the commercial relationship between the advertiser and the agency as a mercantile transaction (acto de comercio). Ley 19.496 Art. 35, enforced by the Servicio Nacional del Consumidor (SERNAC), prohibits false or misleading advertising (publicidad engañosa) — advertising that makes false or misleading statements about a product's characteristics, price, availability, or the conditions of purchase. SERNAC has authority under Ley 19.496 Arts. 51–58 to initiate collective actions (demandas colectivas) against companies whose advertising systematically misleads consumers, and has imposed significant fines on advertisers in the retail, banking, and telecommunications sectors.

The Consejo de Autorregulación y Ética Publicitaria (CONAR) operates Chile's advertising self-regulation system under its Código Chileno de Ética Publicitaria, applying standards for truthfulness (veracidad), decency (decencia), and fairness (lealtad) in advertising content. CONAR's decisions are binding on its member advertisers and agencies, and compliance with CONAR rulings is typically incorporated as a contractual obligation in advertising services contracts.

Digital advertising — including social media campaigns on platforms like Meta, Google Ads, TikTok, and programmatic advertising through DSPs — is increasingly regulated under Chilean law. The Ley de Protección de Datos Personales (Ley 19.628, significantly amended by Ley 21.719 of 2024) imposes obligations on advertisers and agencies processing personal data for behavioral targeting: data subjects must provide informed consent (consentimiento informado) for the collection and use of their personal data for advertising purposes, and the new Agencia de Protección de Datos Personales has enforcement powers including fines of up to 5,000 UTM for serious violations.

The production of advertising creative content — television commercials (comerciales de TV), radio spots, print advertisements, digital banners, and influencer marketing content — engages copyright law under Ley 17.336 (Ley de Propiedad Intelectual). The Sociedad Chilena del Derecho de Autor (SCD) and the Sociedad de Autores y Compositores Dramáticos de Chile (SATCH) collectively manage music rights used in advertising. Agencies must obtain proper synchronization licenses (licencias de sincronización) for music incorporated in audiovisual advertising content, and talent agreements must be executed for actors, models, and other performers appearing in advertisements regulated under the Ley 17.336 and the Código del Trabajo.

An Advertising Services Contract Chile is needed whenever a business entity — operating as a SpA, SRL, SA, or EIRL under Chilean commercial law — engages an advertising agency, digital marketing firm, media buying agency, or creative production house to deliver advertising services in the Chilean market.

Retail companies, supermarket chains, and consumer goods brands advertising through Televisión Nacional de Chile (TVN), Mega, Canal 13, Chilevisión, or regional television channels regulated by the Consejo Nacional de Televisión (CNTV) under Ley 18.838 need a formal advertising contract specifying campaign objectives, media budget allocation, agency commission structure, and performance metrics. Television advertising time purchases through media agencies must be properly documented for SII invoicing and tax compliance purposes.

Digital-first companies — e-commerce operators, fintech platforms under Ley 21.521, insurance companies regulated by la Comisión para el Mercado Financiero (CMF), and healthcare providers regulated by the Superintendencia de Salud — need advertising contracts covering performance marketing (pay-per-click, cost-per-acquisition campaigns), search engine marketing (SEM) through Google Ads, social media advertising management, and influencer marketing programs. Influencer agreements must comply with CONAR's guidelines on disclosure of paid partnerships and SERNAC's requirements on transparency in sponsored content.

FMCG companies, pharmaceutical laboratories regulated by el Instituto de Salud Pública (ISP) and the Ministerio de Salud under DFL 725 (Código Sanitario), and alcohol producers subject to Ley 19.925 advertising restrictions need advertising agreements that specifically address regulatory compliance: pharmaceutical advertising regulations prohibit direct-to-consumer prescription drug advertising, alcohol advertising is restricted during certain broadcasting hours, and food advertising targeting children is governed by the Ley de Etiquetado de Alimentos (Ley 20.606 and its reglamento under DS 13/2015).

Public institutions advertising through ChileCompra (Ley 19.886) must procure advertising services through competitive bidding (licitación pública) for contracts above UF 100, with standardized advertising service contracts that comply with Contraloría General de la República guidelines on public expenditure documentation. Government advertising campaigns must also comply with the Instrucción General No. 21 of the Subsecretaría General de Gobierno on public communications.

A valid Advertising Services Contract Chile under Código de Comercio Art. 1 and Ley 19.496 Art. 35 must address the following essential elements to govern the advertiser-agency relationship effectively and ensure legal compliance across Chile's advertising regulatory framework.

Party Identification: Full legal details of the advertiser (anunciante) — company name, RUT, registered address, and authorized signatory with power of attorney — and the advertising agency (agencia de publicidad) — company name, RUT, Registro de Comercio inscription, and authorized representative. For agencies operating as SpA or SRL, include the company formation deed data from the Registro de Empresas y Sociedades (RES).

Scope of Services (Alcance de Servicios): A precise description of the advertising services to be provided, covering: creative services (servicios creativos) — concept development (desarrollo de concepto), copywriting (redacción publicitaria), graphic design (diseño gráfico), video production (producción audiovisual); media services (servicios de medios) — media planning (planificación de medios), media buying (compra de pauta), media optimization; digital services — social media management, SEM campaigns, SEO, programmatic advertising, influencer marketing coordination; and any ancillary services such as market research (investigación de mercado) and campaign analytics. Specificity protects both parties from scope disputes.

Compensation Structure (Estructura de Compensación): Chilean advertising compensation models include: agency commission (comisión de agencia) — traditionally 15% of gross media spend, though variable; project fees (honorarios por proyecto) for individual campaign elements; monthly retainer (honorario mensual fijo) for ongoing agency-of-record relationships; and performance bonuses (bonificaciones por desempeño) tied to KPIs. All fees must be supported by facturas electrónicas issued through the SII system, and IVA of 19% applies. Pass-through media costs (costos de pauta third-party) must be distinguished from agency fees in the billing structure, as they have different tax treatment and the agency is acting as a purchasing agent (comisionista) for media on behalf of the advertiser.

Regulatory Compliance (Cumplimiento Regulatorio): The contract must specify compliance obligations with: SERNAC's prohibition on publicidad engañosa under Ley 19.496 Art. 35 — the agency warrants that all advertising content is truthful, non-misleading, and does not contain false product claims; CONAR's Código Chileno de Ética Publicitaria — the agency commits to observing self-regulatory standards; CNTV regulations for television advertising under Ley 18.838 — including time restrictions, content classification requirements, and children's advertising restrictions; ISP and Ministerio de Salud regulations for pharmaceutical and food advertising; Ley 19.925 restrictions on alcohol advertising hours and content; and Ley 21.719 of 2024 data protection obligations for targeted digital advertising.

Intellectual Property (Propiedad Intelectual): Ownership of advertising creative assets — the contract must specify whether copyright in the creative work (under Ley 17.336) is assigned to the advertiser or licensed for defined uses. Standard practice in Chile is for the agency to assign all creative work product to the advertiser upon full payment of agency fees. Third-party content licenses must be obtained by the agency — music synchronization licenses from SCD or direct rights holders, image licenses from stock agencies, and talent releases (contratos de imagen) from models and performers under the Código del Trabajo and Ley 17.336 Art. 100 (performer rights — derechos conexos). Ownership of campaign data (analytics, audience data) generated during the engagement should also be addressed.

Media Budget Authorization (Autorización de Pauta de Medios): A clear process for the advertiser to authorize media investment — the contract should specify: budget approval thresholds requiring written authorization (e.g., any media placement above CLP 5,000,000 requires CMO sign-off); the agency's authority to make bookings on behalf of the advertiser as a comisionista; the treatment of canceled or modified bookings and any cancellation fees charged by media owners; and the timing of media cost billing (typically the agency bills the advertiser upon receipt of the media owner's invoice, with reconciliation at campaign end).

Termination Provisions (Cláusulas de Término): Agency-of-record relationships in Chile typically include notice periods of 60–90 days for termination without cause, acknowledging the operational complexity of transitioning accounts. The contract should address: ownership and transfer of campaign assets, account passwords, and media relationships upon termination; the treatment of in-flight campaigns at the time of notice; and the agency's right to retain samples of the creative work in its portfolio under Ley 17.336 moral rights provisions (derechos morales).

Forms-legal.com provides this Advertising Services Contract Chile template as a practical reference for advertisers and agencies formalizing their service relationship. Given the regulatory complexity involving SERNAC, CONAR, CNTV, and data protection obligations, parties should engage a licensed Abogado with advertising law expertise to review the agreement. Los usuarios de forms-legal.com pueden descargar este documento de forma gratuita en formato PDF o DOCX, completar los campos del formulario guiado y obtener un documento listo para firma.