Dive Brief: 

• Officials from Fox Broadcasting are telling advertisers that all commercial spots for the upcoming Super Bowl XLVIII are sold out. 
• Selling out this soon is an indicator that times are improving, as during harder times, like the recent recession, the Super Bowl is sometimes still selling spots up until the weekend of the game. 
• Neil Mulcahy, executive vice president for sales at Fox Sports, credited car brands with the fast sellout. Several car brands — including G.M., which sat last year out — have returned to claim Super Bowl commercial spots. 

Dive Insight: 

While Super Bowl ads only appeal to a small percentage of brands, the fact that spots sold out quickly could be an indicator that the economy — and the ad industry — is on the upswing. Car brands are certainly having a better time than a few years ago. The quick sellout should also mean stiffer competition between those who claimed a spot, spawning even more creative commercials.