Who Is Asad Ayaz? Meet the Fan in Charge of the Disney Brand. If you’ve noticed that Disney feels a bit different lately, perhaps more focused on the “Disneyland 70th” anniversary or at this time of year, Disney’s “Best Christmas Ever,” or way more active on TikTok, there is one person behind it. His name is Asad Ayaz. He is Disney’s first-ever Chief Brand Officer. Essentially, Bob Iger hired him to make sure people still love the Disney name as much as they used to.
Recently, the WSJ did an expose on Asad Ayaz, and here is a highlight.
What does Mr Ayaz do? He has a huge job. He handles the marketing for all the major movies, including Marvel, Star Wars, and Pixar, plus he also oversees the overall brand’s public image. If you see a character from a brand-new movie show up in the parks almost immediately, that’s often his influence. He wants everything to stay connected. Ayad has run the campaigns for massive movies like Avengers: Endgame, Inside Out 2, and, of course, Stitch. He has actually worked on 18 films that made over $1 billion.
Ayaz is the person Iger trusts to fix the vibe. He’s known for being obsessed with “key art”, those iconic posters and visuals that define a movie or a park expansion.
He’s also a bridge between the creators and the business side. Famous directors like Kevin Feige (Marvel) and James Cameron (Avatar) actually trust him with their stories. For a Disney Parks fan, this is good news. It means the person in charge of the brand actually likes the movies and the rides we do.
Asad Ayaz is basically the ultimate “Superfan” who made it to the C-suite. As Disney looks at huge park expansions in Florida and California, he’s the one making sure those new lands still feel like “Disney.” If you’re wondering why Encanto is coming to Tropical Americas, or why Figment was visiting the Walt Disney Studios lot last year? He is the reason. He is the synergy between the movies and the Parks. Looking at these IPs through a fan’s eye.
Ayaz didn’t just show up to work at a corporate office one day. He grew up as a fan. His first trip to Disney World was in 1990. He remembers walking through Epcot and the old MGM Studios (now Hollywood Studios) as a teenager. That matters because he understands why we care about the small details.
For Disney Parks fans who follow the day-to-day activities or have seen the Disney Parks social media team, He is the reason why it seems like Disney is all in on TikTok.
If you want to follow Mr Asad Ayaz, he is active on Instagram and other social media platforms.
