Disney alum Ricky Strauss has been named head of marketing for Apple TV Plus, which is gearing up for the third season of Ted Lasso this year as well as the big-budget event series Masters of the Air, Alfonso Cuaron‘s new series Disclaimer, and a little movie called Killers of the Flower Moon from Martin Scorsese.
Strauss will lead consumer marketing campaigns, creative advertising, media, and promotions for Apple’s original movies and TV shows, and he’ll work out of the streamer’s Culver City offices, where he’ll work closely with Apple’s programming heads, as well as its head of publicity and awards. Strauss will report to Apple’s Marketing Communications VP Tor Myrhen, and Apple’s marketing team works closely with Zack Van Amburg and Jamie Erlicht, the streamer’s heads of worldwide video.
Strauss spent nine years at Disney and most recently served as President of Content and Marketing for Disney+, having spearheaded the launch of the service. He left Disney+ nearly two years ago in the midst of a reorganization, but his knowledge of the streaming landscape makes him a valuable asset, and he has plenty of upscale material to work with in 2023.
Prior to joining the Disney+ team in June 2018, Strauss served as President of Marketing for Walt Disney Studios, where he worked on campaigns for Marvel’s The Avengers and Captain America: Civil War, as well as Star Wars: The Force Awakens, and Rogue One: A Star Wars Story. Strauss also spent seven years at Participant Media, where he steered campaigns for award-winning films such as The Cove, The Help, An Inconvenient Truth, and Waiting for Superman.
Apple could certainly use some help cutting through the streaming clutter these days, as I don’t think Cha Cha Real Smooth, Emancipation, Luck, or Spirited lived up to expectations or were particularly well-marketed, though Apple’s CODA campaign was note-perfect, which is why that big-hearted little movie became the first streaming film to win the Oscar for Best Picture. Still, Strauss can only help, and he joins the company at the perfect time, too.
