In December 2002 Oftel, the UK regulator for the telecommunications industry, started the deregulation process of directory enquiry services. 192 was to be switched off permanently on 24th August 2003. Three communication objectives: be the number consumers remember when switch-off arrives; be more than just a phone number; engage with consumers.

Despite The Number spending less than its major competitors they are able to claim 50% of the market. According to Ofcom's latest 118 call statistics, The Number accounted for more than 50% of the total number calls to all 118 numbers on the BT network.

Washing lines holding vests were hung across the UK. Vests were hung up across the UK. Vests were also placed in strange unexpected places. These were worn by the British public. We distributed in excess of 150,000 vests. Pictures of the runners were hung in 500 barber shop windows. Over 150 actors were hired to play the role of the runners. They also had their own customised ice cream van to travel in. The runners were also used to infiltrate televised events.

A consistent recipe was used for each media channel. The recipe was: take two 70s runners, add a dash of British humour, mix with irreverence and passion, and finally, sprinkle with some grated irony. Serve hot. Each individual channel allowed consumers to meet their heroes or imitate them. Producing a very strong viral element to the campaign gave The Number a level of visibility beyond its investment in the campaign.

In directory enquiries, 25% of the UK population makes 89% of all calls. These heavy users formed the focus of the communication. They are based in urban areas. They are relatively up-market and sociable but busy people, with little time to spend deliberating over which DQ supplier to use. We recommended The Number reduce their marketing budget and acquire the most memorable number 118 118. We needed to deliver frequency of message in conventional media but focus on street based communication to engage on a human level with consumers cutting through the confusion and clutter. Bring interesting communication to a low interest category.