Hulu Promotes Originals Publicity Head Candice Ashton (EXCLUSIVE)
Hulu has promoted Candice Ashton to vice president, originals publicity. In her new role, the veteran communications exec will oversee publicity across series, film and documentaries. She will report to Hulu’s originals marketing chiefs — Barrie Gruner on series and Spencer Peeples on film and documentaries
Ashton joined Hulu in 2016 as it was ramping up its original-programming efforts. At the streaming service, she has led campaigns and awards pushes for series including “The Mindy Project,” “The Looming Tower,” “Difficult People” and “Catch-22.” She also has overseen Hulu’s biannnual presence at the CTAM portion of the Television Critics Association press tour.
In 2018, she was promoted to lead Hulu’s originals-publicity team, overseeing all publicity for the streamer’s slate of original series and documentaries, including “The Handmaid’s Tale,” “The Act,” “Little Fires Everywhere,” “Normal People,” “Ramy,” “The Great,” “Hillary” and “Fyre Fraud.” Ashton recently added to her purview oversight of publicity for Hulu’s original-film slate, which includes “Run,” starring Sarah Paulson; “Happiest Season,” starring Kristen Stewart; and the upcoming feature “The United States vs. Billie Holiday” from director Lee Daniels.
Ashton began her career at Viacom, where she worked in multiple talent-relations and publicity roles across MTV, VH1 and CMT, spearheading publicity campaigns and live events. She later moved to ABC, working on network and studio publicity efforts. There she launched “Bachelor in Paradise,” which became one of the pillars of the valuable “Bachelor” franchise. She also worked on campaigns for “Nashville,” “Dancing With the Stars” and “Jimmy Kimmel Live.”
Ashton received her bachelor’s degree in communications from the University of San Diego and lives in Los Angeles with her husband Robert Valenziano.
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