Marketing wizard Asad Ayaz has been named Disney’s first-ever chief brand officer, effective immediately. CEO Bob Iger announced the appointment Thursday. Ayaz will report directly to Iger on all things branding.
It’s a huge promotion for Ayaz. In the newly created role, he will be responsible for managing and elevating the Disney brand globally across the company’s ecosystem and consumer experiences. He also remains president of marketing for Walt Disney Studios, overseeing all aspects of marketing and publicity for the studios’ films and series, as well as Disney+ worldwide, reporting to Disney Entertainment Co-Chairman Alan Bergman.
“Asad is an exceptional creative leader with a deep understanding of what Disney means to millions of people around the world,” Iger said in a statement. “His acceptance of this role is particularly noteworthy and has profound implications as we commemorate our historic 100th anniversary, and I am confident that his strategic, operational and creative ability, coupled with his deep passion for Disney, will make him an outstanding steward. of our stories. , characters, brands and franchises.”
As chief brand officer, Ayaz will develop and execute marketing campaigns for the brand, leveraging and synthesising the company’s full range of content and consumer experiences, activate the brand internally and externally through partnerships, and provide guidance and alignment for the digital and social media strategy and company presence. . He will set corporate synergy and franchise priorities in consultation with the CEO, and he and his team will use consumer research and analytics to decide how to promote brands and franchises across platforms.
“During my early life and time with the company, I marveled at the power of Disney’s stories, experiences and simply the name itself to inspire people and resonate across generations,” added Ayaz. “I’m extremely grateful to Bob for entrusting me with this opportunity, and I’m thrilled to be working with the great teams around our company to highlight all the things that make Disney exceptional and make sure we’re building those meaningful connections with audiences. keep creating for many more generations to come.”
Ayaz, among other cross-company branding initiatives, will oversee the Disney100 campaign as the company celebrates its 100th anniversary. He recently led the development and creation of the Disney100 Special Look spot that debuted at this year’s Super Bowl, as well as the Studios’ new 100-year logo refresh that now appears on all Disney-branded films.
Ayaz has served as president of marketing at Walt Disney Studios since 2018 and oversees all film and series campaigns across Disney, Walt Disney Animation Studios, Pixar Animation Studios, Marvel Studios, Lucasfilm and 20th Century Studios, including strategy, creative advertising, media, digital, research, special events, promotions, international marketing, publicity and synergy. He was also recently appointed to lead global marketing for Disney+.
Ayaz, an 18-year Disney veteran, has developed and led marketing campaigns for some of the most successful movie releases in history, including Star Wars: The Force Awakens, Black Panther And Avatar: The way of the water. Additional feature film campaigns include Disney’s live-action hits Aladdin And The lionking, Frozen 2, Encanto, To blush And Free guy. Includes Disney+ series The Mandalorian, WandaVision, Obi Wan Kenobi And Loki, among many others. Put another way, Ayaz has led the campaigns for the most-watched movies on Disney+ and Hulu, and 13 of the top 15 box office debuts of all time, including six opening weekends of over $200 million, as well as the biggest worldwide debut of all time for Avengers: Endgamewhich made more than $1.2 billion in its first five days.
