Three trots onto TV screens with UK’s first moonwalking pony.

An unusually talented pony is the unlikely star of Three’s new advertising campaign, which launches tonight and celebrates the nation’s love of sharing the funny, quirky and downright daft content we find and share on the internet.

Directed by multi award-winning director, Dougal Wilson, and created by advertising agency Wieden+Kennedy, the ad carries the strapline, ‘Silly stuff. It matters.’, and stars Socks, one of the Shetland Isle’s famed ponies.

Filmed in the Shetlands and set to the much loved 80’s track, ‘Everywhere’ by Fleetwood Mac, viewers soon realise that this is no ordinary pony. With a scrape of a hoof and a flick of his Rod Stewart-esque mane, Socks breaks into an effortless moonwalk across a picturesque Scottish field.

The ad builds on Three’s appreciation for the country’s love of sharing, particularly when it comes to cute animal pictures, the second most shared type of mobile content* – aiming to bring a smile to inboxes, newsfeeds and Twitter streams across the UK. It recognises sharing as a modern day gesture that builds friendships, cements relationships and lets those we care about know they’re on our minds.

The 17 day campaign launches tonight at 19.45 on ITV 1, during Coronation Street and features a combination of 60 and 30 second versions. Viewers with a beady eye will have already spotted the three second and four second TV teasers of Socks’ scraping hooves and flaring nostrils.

To inspire the act of sharing even further, a web-based app hosted on YouTube, ponymixer.com, has been created which encourages people to join the fun and create their own customised dancing Socks. From rock star to boy band, you can choose from eight genres of music, along with a variety of backgrounds and props, before adding a personalised message and sharing via social media.

Tom Malleschitz, Marketing Director at Three said: “Our customers choose Three because we are known and loved for being the network built for the internet. In every day life we might take sharing content for granted, but at Three we know that discovering, passing on or receiving the unexpected can bring a smile to your face at just the right time. That’s why we wanted to create something special that people will want to share, while knowing that they can rely on us for an Ultrafast internet connection and great value.”