We’ve come a long way from this Labour poster, created in 1974 to link inflation to the Conservatives in the minds of the electorate. The next general election will be the first to see UK political parties harness the power of the internet to show TV-style adverts as part of their election campaigns - a very exciting prospect according Tremor Media.

This video advertising organisation is inviting parties to use “pre or post-roll” online advertisements (where a political advert plays before or after a video watched online) with the option of clicking through to the party’s website or social media. It claims to be able to target specific demographics with the adverts.

If the next general election is to involve a wealth of online advertisements, one can only wonder what form they will take as the competition heats up, particularly given the animosity that emerged during the American election last year. Are we likely to see Brown answering a 3am call at his bedside table, before turning beseechingly to Sarah for advice? Or perhaps there will be footage of David Cameron, overlaid with Chris Isaak singing “Changed Your Mind”, and the words “Lisbon Treaty referendum” written in a dangerous font across his forehead?

The next issue of Total Politics, which comes out on 20 November, will feature a profile of Benedict Pringle, whose blog is dedicated to analysing the relative merits of political adverts. If the parties do decide to be creative with them I will be very interested to see what he thinks.

(Photo: Getty Images)