GIRLS decked out in black, chanting placard slogans, giving out promotional cards and cheering loudly.

Tiger Airways is taking the competition for KL-bound travellers up a notch, even to the door step of rivals.

The low-cost carrier's latest campaign “Ditch the bus, fly with us!” sends cheerleaders to various parts of Singapore over a seven-week period, to promote the airline’s flights to Kuala Lumpur (KL).

The ongoing campaign which started in February, is a joint undertaking by postcard advertising company ZoCard and creative agency XM Asia Pacific, who were engaged by the low-cost carrier.

Visiting places like Orchard Road, Raffles Place, Queen Street and Golden Mile, the cheerleaders have been driving awareness of a special $25 airfare to KL, inclusive of taxes and surcharges, said a press release by ZoCard.

The unprecedented effort by Tiger Airways, termed “guerrilla” in the release, is an aggressive marketing move, taking the “Ditch the bus” slogan straight to bus terminals and to the doorsteps of bus companies.

Golden Mile, one of the campaign venues approved by the carrier, is home to a large number of express bus operators that ply the Singapore-Malaysia route, while Queen Street is a common departing point for those taking the bus across the Causeway.

The campaign met with “mild resistance” from bus company owners at Golden Mile, who wanted to chase the cheerleaders away, said Ms Syereen Sengari, an account manager with ZoCard.

No real confrontation occurred, but the cheerleaders had to relocate to a more public area of the stretch along Beach Road, said Ms Sengari.

The cheerleaders will make a total of 18 trips around Singapore for the duration of the campaign. They have two more promotional outings left – one this Saturday, and the final one on March 18.

Photos: ZoCard