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Asad Ayaz has been named the first-ever chief brand officer of The Walt Disney Company, said CEO Bob Iger, to whom Ayaz will report, on Thursday.
In this new and additional role, Ayaz will be responsible for stewarding and elevating the Disney brand globally across the entire company, from television to online to streaming to theme parks and cruise lines. Ayaz will continue as president of marketing for The Walt Disney Studios where he oversees all aspects of marketing and publicity for the studios’ films and series. He also oversees marketing and publicity for Disney Plus globally, reporting to Disney Entertainment Co-Chairman Alan Berman.
“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 taking on this role is particularly noteworthy and consequential as we commemorate our historic 100th anniversary, and I am confident that his strategic, operational and creative prowess, along with his profound 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 brand marketing campaigns across the company’s full suite of content and consumer experiences, activate the brand internally and externally through partnerships, and provide guidance and alignment for the company’s digital and social media strategy and presence. He will set corporate synergy and franchise priorities in consultation with the CEO and lead a global consumer research and analytics function focused on Disney’s brands and franchises.
“Throughout both my early life and my time at the company, I’ve marveled at the power of Disney’s storytelling, experiences and simply the name itself to inspire people and resonate through generations,” said Ayaz, also in a statement. “I am immensely grateful to Bob for entrusting me with this opportunity, and I’m excited to work with the amazing teams around our company to highlight all the things that make Disney exceptional and ensure that we continue to create those meaningful connections with audiences for many more generations to come.”
One of Ayaz’ first duties in his new role will be to oversee the “Disney100” campaign as the company celebrates its 100th year in operation. Ayaz recently led the development and creation of the “Disney100 Special Look” spot that debuted in this year’s Super Bowl, as well as the Studios’ new 100-year refreshed logo now appearing on all Disney-branded films.
As president of marketing for The Walt Disney Studios, a role he has held since 2018, Ayaz will continue to oversee all aspects of marketing for films and series from 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.
An 18-year Disney veteran, Ayaz has developed and led marketing campaigns for some of the most successful film releases in history, including Lucasfilm’s Star Wars: The Force Awakens, Marvel Studios’ Black Panther and Avatar: The Way of Water. Additional campaigns Ayaz has spearheaded include Disney’s live-action hits Aladdin and The Lion King; Walt Disney Animation’s Frozen 2 and Encanto; Pixar’s Toy Story 4 and Turning Red; 20th Century Studios’ Free Guy and Prey; and Disney Plus series The Mandalorian, WandaVision, Obi-Wan Kenobi, Loki and many others.
In all, Ayaz has led the campaigns for the most-watched films on Disney Plus and Hulu, and 13 of the top 15 box office debuts of all time, including six opening weekends over $200 million, as well as the biggest worldwide debut of all time for Avengers: Endgame, which earned more than $1.2 billion in five days.
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