Guess who’s emerging the new favourite as brand ambassador for products? Abhishek Bachchan. Bachchan Junior who took his first steps in the direction with father dearest in a Maruti Versa campaign, is now proving to be a good bet even as a solo hero in commercials. His fun and whacky Motorola campaign has ensured him more solo deals, the latest being Flying Machine.

As the brand ambassador of Flying Machine, Abhishek confessed to being a true-blue jeans person. “I am most comfortable in a pair of jeans. Chicco has already gifted me ten pairs,” he laughed pointing to young Italian designer Federico Barina Chicco, who heads Arvind’s latest Denim initiative.

Bachchan Jr who has also endorsed brands like BIG 92.7 FM, Ford, American Express, LG, Omega and Motorola, added that everyone likes to wear what they are comfortable in and “That is jeans,” he asserted. About reaping benefits from brand endorsement, he said, it works both ways. “You have to work together, whether it is endorsements or films. You have to know the product to believe in it. Another important aspect is that one has to have the personality for the merchandise. Now you know why Flying Machine chose me,” he grins.

As for Abhishek’s popularity in commercials, trade analyst Amod Mehra feels the more the exposure the better it is. Shah Rukh Khan, he says, has about 200 commercials to his credit, and not because he is not getting enough work on big screen. Post the success of Manirathnam’s Guru, Mehra says that demand for AB Jr has risen so much that the actor is now asking for approximately Rs 3 crore as his fee.

“Ads will make no difference to his film career which is already on a roll with Drona, Laaga Chunari Mein Daag and Sarkar Raj coming soon,” he stated.

Adman and lyricist Prasoon Joshi has the same opinion. “Endorsements don’t affect the popularity of a film star. In fact, they get ads because of their success as actors,” he says adding that brands invest a lot of money on popular stars to endorse their products because they trust them completely. Talking about the pairing of Abhishek with Aishwarya Rai after marriage, he feels, it will give boost to his film career though he’s already an established star. “People are curious to see them together and given a good concept, the pair will certainly work well.”

As for Abhishek, when asked who his style icon is, replied instantly, "My dad!"
His father, incidentally is one of the hottest advertising mascots and probably among the highest paid model for commercials. So far, Amitabh Bachchan has endorsed brands like Reid & Taylor, BPL, D’damas, ICICI, Parker Pens, Pepsi, Maruti Versa, Nerolac Paints, Cadburys and Dabur. Also a prominent part of a recent AIDS campaign, Bachchan earns more from his endorsements than any star of today. Recently, he beat Aamir Khan, who had bagged the biggest endorsement for Coke, with a whopping Rs 10 crore contract with ICICI.

When asked of his choice of Flying Machine, he reveals with a smile, “They chose me.” Attired in a snug-fit black pair of jeans, waistcoat and a pin-striped shirt, he added, “I am glad to be associated with Flying Machine as its brand ambassador because it is now positioning itself as an international Indian brand. Currently, when the market is flooded with international jeans brands, India's original Denim jeans, Flying Machine, is at par with the rest, both creatively and technically. It's about time we stepped onto the international platform here as well,” he stated.

“It is terrifying. It is a brand that I have grown up seeing my parents wear and have worn them myself during my college days. Now Chicco has done an outstanding job. The present collection symbolises what India stands for today. Arvind is a cool brand and the people associated with it are young so their ideas are all youth-oriented. ”

Abhishek also took the opportunity to mention his first film with his mother Jaya Bachchan. “It was a wonderful experience working in director Raja Sen’s Bengali film Matribhoomi with maa. She is a wonderful actor and it was the first time I was facing the camera with her. I also have Drona and Laaga Chunari Mein Daag with her coming up,” he added.

Referring to Shah Rukh Khan’s much-publicised “six pack abs”, Abhishek admitted it was no mean achievement, but in a lighter vein he said he was very upset with SRK. “For now I have to build my body like his. But hats off to SRK that at this stage of his career, he has dared to do something out of the ordinary.”

Besides the abs, AB Jr might also want to do some catching up with SRK on the ad front.