My daily commute on the central line was brightened up immensely this morning as I read an article in Metro that Minority Report-style advertising will be here in a just a few years time – by 2015, in fact.

The technology available for “gladvertising” (for that is the term being used) would take the definition of “interactive advertising” to a whole new level.

The gist of the article is that talking digital billboards containing cameras backed by advanced emotion recognition software will detect your mood and target you with an advert. Going one step further these billboards will link with your smart phone to access personal details such as body shape, anniversaries and favourite foods.

I can already imagine the scenario – I’m strolling down Charing Cross Road on a warm summer’s afternoon, when a talking 3D hologram poster says to me “Hey Rob, why not pop into the Royal George just across the street for a nice cool pint of Heineken? You deserve it after your hard day at the office and the mini-break you booked to Berlin is still over a month away. Go on, treat yourself!”

There would be no limit to the new business opportunities open to marketers of all disciplines with this sort of technology available. On top of this affiliate marketing could become more intelligent than ever and become totally personalised to truly suit the individual.

Then I pictured the flipside to this sort of marketing. Similar scenario, but this time the poster shouts “Hey Rob, you seem to have an itchy bottom – maybe it’s piles? Why not pop into Superdrug just across the road and treat yourself to some nice soothing Preparation H?”

It would be like walking the streets with the constant fear of bumping into a really embarrassing drunken mad friend who never knows when to shut up.

Being a life-long West Ham fan, I read with a huge amount of resentment and bitterness about Tottenham’s latest cunning plan to make more money last week. Not content with having one sponsor, they’ve only gone and got themselves a second one – just for cup and European games.

Why didn’t West Ham think of that? Aside from the fact that we’re not in Europe, will no doubt get knocked out of the Carling Cup by Oxford United tonight and possibly of the FA Cup by, hmmm… let’s say Bolton in the fourth round, it seems to be a pretty good idea to generate more revenue for clubs in these tough times for the beautiful game.

Realistically, this brainwave will mainly suit the bigger, more successful clubs as the additional sponsors would have to feel they were getting enough exposure for their money and therefore a decent run in these competitions. But why not extend the idea even further to have a separate sponsor for home and away kits?

Logic would dictate that this will result in one of the following outcomes:

either the floodgates will open for the marketing departments of companies not currently represented to get their brand names splashed across the kits of other top-flight clubs in some way, shape or form;

or existing sponsors will up their money to retain exclusivity across all competitions.

The other scenario is that brands won’t play ball at all – but I suspect the lure of all that publicity will be too great and there will always be someone who will jump in to fill their shoes.

And let’s not forget the replica kit sales – 4p to make, £40 to buy and now you not only need home and away, but also the limited edition Champions League, FA Cup and Carling Cup version. All revenue for these cash-strapped clubs!

Come to think of it, why stop at football – there are plenty of other televised sports to target too.

I suspect there will be a window of opportunity opening for affiliate marketers and sponsors following Tottenham’s tactics and my advice to agencies is to hit those phones now – or better still get the longest established (and best) new business agency to do it on your behalf!

PS – for any Spurs fans reading this, check out http://www.dearmrlevy.com – it’s a cracking site.