The run-up to the World Cup and a strong recovery in marketing by automotive companies helped spur a rebound in global advertising spending in the first quarter of the year, figures from Nielsen show.

Carmakers increased their advertising budgets by 19.1 per cent in the three months to March, according to Nielsen's Global Adview Pulse report, second only to fast-moving consumer goods groups. Three of the 10 largest advertisers were automotive companies: General Motors, Ford and Toyota. Honda, Volkswagen and Chrysler also appear in the top 20 advertisers over the period, with cars making up 8.2 per cent of total ad spending.

Latin America and Asia-Pacific saw the greatest increases in automotive spending, with Brazil, Mexico, Argentina and India providing the greatest growth in advertising overall. Europe is still lagging the broader recovery.