Scoot-Permitted on Board

After a year of integrating the two airline’s reservation systems, Singapore Airlines Group finally merged the Tigerair brand into sister airline Scoot.

Of course merging together airline brands is not always easy. One example we talked about in a previous report was Alaska Airlines deciding to do away with Virgin America while incorporating certain brand features that made Virgin America so popular among passengers.

As our CEO Shashank Nigam pointed out at the time, this is an approach that could lead to expectations being raised to a level that can’t be met, and Alaska Airlines would have been better to play up the things that made it a great brand in its own right.

Scoot seems to have taken this approach. In particular, Scoot has over the past few years made a name for itself as a low fares airline that makes flying fun.

Off the wall marketing campaigns have included everything from an AprilFool’s inspired “Velcro Suit” that allows you to carry on more hand luggage, to a ‘passengers’ from hell’ stunt where passengers were sat next to an annoying seat-mate (actor) - the idea here was to promote the fact that you can “max your space” by reserving the seat next to you.”

As a result, the new campaign developed by ad agency Publicis to communicate the merger, is fully in this fun tone of voice.

“Permitted on Board” is a campaign that aims to show how Scoot is different from other LCCs, from flying brand new Dreamliners, to offering extras such as more leg-room. As Jacqueline Loh, head of marketing at Scoot said, “We don’t believe flying budget should be a bland experience!”

The positioning was brought to life on social media via a series of live inflight concerts as performed by crew members under the tagline Live Music #PermittedOnBoard.

One comment underneath from a Facebook user, while ostensibly negative, only serves to reinforce the brand’s young and fun positioning: “Do you only sell plane tickets to children and adolescent people , SCOOT ???”

Beyond new the new destinations that are now part of the Scoot route network, Scoot’s crew members, will be outfitted

with new uniform designs. The new uniform for female crew members cuts a flattering silhouette with its asymmetric dress design and higher waistline, while that for male crew members features sharper angles for the yellow highlights on the polo shirts.

However, rather than try and mesh together the Tiger and Scoot brands in the new uniforms, the designs are undeniably Scoot inspired, and seek to carry on the fun and spontaneity associated with Scoot.

Scoot also rolled out its first A320 aircraft, previously operated by Tigerair and repainted with the Scoot livery, named “Conscious Coupling” in commemoration of the integration between the two airlines.

Well done to Scoot for having the self confidence to reinforce all the different things that have made the Scoot brand great over the years, rather than try and ‘fudge’ a brand merger, which could seem overly apologetic and inauthentic to outsiders.

The campaign doesn’t apologise, it presents the extension of the Scoot brand as a good thing for Scoot passengers, former Tigerair passengers, and new passengers who have yet to try the airline out for themselves.