As the Google Street View cars go zipping around the world taking pictures of, well, everything, they are also snapping pictures of all the outdoor advertising out there. Now, Google has filed a patent so they can sell the space on billboards they capture in  Google Maps Street View.

Google has just doubled the amount of “outdoor” ad inventory in the world and they control all of it.

The patent says they have a way to automatically detect outdoor advertising and easily sell advertising to go over it. In addition, it could recognize movie posters on the outside of a theater and update them as the movies change. Of course, each poster would be clickable so you could find out more information such as show times, seat availability, how to purchase tickets, etc.

It also talks about how entire buildings could be clickable: “For example, the image of the coffee shop can be hot-linked to an advertisement for the coffee shop.”

Interesting concept, no? What do you think of it? Will it actually take off and be another revenue stream? And what do you think Reagan, Yesco and other outdoor media channels think of it?

A good reminder that outdoor advertising isn’t limited to billboards and bus shelters.

Via Ads of the World.