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The Puggerfly has a life beyond the TV spot, however. To highlight the addition of Snapchat to "Three's Go Binge" offering, which lets new and existing customers use the app without eating into their data allowance, the winged pug makes his debut as the world's first Snapchat augmented reality pet. 

Think of it as a modern interpretation of a Tamagotchi. 

Snapchat's 12-million daily active users in the UK will be able to play with the digital pup, following its story day by day as it transforms from Puppyfly to fully-fledged Puggerfly during the course of a week.

Snapchatters will be able to experience feeding their pet bones, clearing up its rainbow poo (yes, really) and even watch it twerk as part of the various creative lenses.

"When doing our researach to try and unlock Tamagotchi-love, we found that people really enjoyed cleaning poop. So. You can," Jasmine Skee, director of propositions at Three UK, told audiences at the launch of Mindshare's AR report yesterday. Skee remarked that she can't believe she is delivering a presentation about virtual Puggerfly poop. 

The lens is also tied to time. The Puggerfly will sleep from 10pm to 7am and will refuse to wake up. 

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The TV spot will air tonight during the advertising break of Hollyoaks and Emmerdale. It introduces viewers to the Puggerfly, who throughout the 30-second spot gets to grips with its new butterfly wings. The amazing animated visuals by The Mill will be accompanied by US film star, John Goodman, who is providing the voiceover alongside the legendary track of Africa by Toto.

The ad ends with "Oh Snap, data free on Three" and the call to action to "Free your own Puggerfly on Snapchat now".

The lens will then be made available to Snapchatters for just seven days. 

"Puggerfly meet world, world meet Puggerfly, half-pug, half-social butterfly. Living inside your Snapchat for you to clean up its poop, take on a walk and twerk with. It’s the face of our campaign and star of a rainbow fart-filled piece of film to let everyone know about it," Hollie Walker, creative director at Wieden & Kennedy, said.

The branded lenses will be amplified by a widespread promotional push running from 26 April – 31 May, with a media plan from Mindshare. The TV ad will be supported by press, digital and social advertising, while a nationwide out-of-home campaign will include a huge airborne Puggerfly soaring high in the Liverpool One shopping centre.

"This partnership with Snapchat, and the creation of the loveable Puggerfly, is the embodiment of that ambition; it’s expressive, fun and uninhibited," Shadi Halliwell, chief marketing officer at Three UK, said.  "This is exactly how people should be empowered to use their phones. I want to encourage the UK to engage with Puggerfly throughout the seven days, so no matter what network they are on, for this one week they get to experience the freedom and fun that our customers enjoy all the time on Three."