IN BRITAIN, it was an off-the-wall advertising campaign to introduce a change that nobody wanted, and it descended from a joke to a monstrous irritation.

The two gangling, long-haired, droopy moustachioed runners with their red socks and ropey vests numbered 118 so incensed David Bedford, the former world 10,000 metres champion renowned for his long hair, moustache and red socks, that he challenged the “abuse” of his image. Now he is consulting his lawyers again.

For in France, two zany gym instructors with long hair, droopy moustaches and naff aerobics kit have become cult figures. They advertise 118-218, the directory inquiries number of Le Numéro, the French subsidiary of The Number, which made its British debut with the two fun runners in 2003.

The campaign’s disco-style song Tou tou you tou, an updated version of the theme from a 1980s television gym show, has sold 250,000 copies and 20,000 DVDs. The Finance Minister has quoted it in Parliament and children are copying the characters in the playground.

The campaign has put 118-218 in first place in the French market since 12, the old enquiries number, was withdrawn in April. Yesterday Le Figaro called Le Numéro the season’s phénomène de société.

It has relaunched the careers of Véronique and Davina, the aerobics coaches whose Gym Tonic show was a 1980s hit and whom Le Numéro took the precaution of signing up as consultants. Soren Prevost and Pascal Vincent, pictured, the actors in the commercials, have become stars with their funny tights and headbands and have taken their corny routines around the country.

More than 1.5 million people have visited their website; 300,000 people have downloaded the theme song and wallpaper to their mobile phones; and nightclubs are holding lookalike contests.

Children are also running up big telephone bills by dialling Le Numéro’s call-centre — in Morocco — to ask the staff to sing Tou tou you tou.

The campaign’s coronation came when Thierry Breton, the Finance Minister, tried to silence heckling MPs in parliament by saying: “On n’est pas chez les Toutouyoutous” (This is not the Toutouyoutou show).

Bruno Massiet du Biest, president of Le Numéro, said: “There was a danger of falling into the trap of being naff, of looking cut-price. The trick was the right dosage. People understood that it was a joke and the music has really worked well.”

Xavier del Sarte, managing director of Agence V, which produced the campaign, said they had been careful to adapt the British version to French popular culture. “We chose Véronique and Davina because they resonated with a certain generation,” he said. “The surprise was finding that the kids have completely taken to the characters.”

Last night Mr Bedford, who spent £60,000 on his legal action against the British ad in 2004, said he would be talking to his lawyers once more. “At the time, my solicitors and I looked at the consequences if this was tried in other parts of Europe,” he said. “I am now going to call them again.”

BUNGLED SWITCH

• BT’s 192 number was switched off in August 2003. The idea was to drive down call prices and provide more choice
• However the opening up of the £300 million directory enquiries market is now regarded as a prime example of bungled deregulation
• 192 was replaced with 200 different 118 numbers and, as it passed into history, chaos ensued
• A failure to advertise the change widely enough left many consumers confused
• Last year, the National Audit Office found that the benefits of scrapping the old 192 number had not yet been proved
• It also found that more than half of telephone users cannot remember any of the 118 numbers

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