Bond loses his suit to Bachchan

You would have expected the Reid & Taylor brand ambassador to jump out of the TV screen and say, "The name is Bond, James Bond."

But hang on, the line could now be, "The name is Bachchan, Amitabh Bachchan."

The Big B is taking over from Pierce Brosnan as the new brand ambassador for the Scottish apparel brand, owned by the S Kumars group.

The Bollywood icon has been signed on for an undisclosed sum. Company officials refused to comment on the issue.

The move was part of a facelift for S Kumars Nationwide, the flagship company of the S Kumars group, sources close to the development said.

Reid & Taylor is priced competitively but has been positioned as a premium brand. The company holds a 20 per cent stake in Reid & Taylor (UK).

The former "angry young man" of Hindi films also lends his dash to ICICI Bank, Pepsi, Parker pens, besides having launched a perfume in his name.

A formal announcement on Bachchan being the new brand ambassador will be made by S Kumars on Wednesday.

However, Brosnan will continue to be associated with the brand, though to a lesser extent, till the next Bond movie is launched.

With consumption patterns changing rapidly "" from buying fabrics and getting them tailored to buying readymade garments "" the company is also looking at launching a complete wardrobe in formal, casual and fusion wear, using the Reid & Taylor brand.

The brand has managed to remain in the public eye, thanks to a high-profile campaign starring the world's classiest spy with the keyline, "Bond with the Best."

S Kumars has three brands in the textiles and apparels sector "" S Kumars, Reid & Taylor and Tamariind. S Kumars had roped in Bollywood star Hrithik Roshan as brand ambassador for Tamariind, but it failed to take off.

Ace cricketer Kapil Dev was earlier associated with the S Kumars brand. According to the company, all the brands have been doing well in their respective categories.