The benchmark oil price has climbed over the past few weeks, the uptick fueled by surprisingly strong economic reports emanating from the U.S. and continued political volatility in some of the world's biggest producers of the fossil fuel. However, analysts at Bespoke Investment Group ( BIG ) contend the current rally is "unlikely to have as much of a negative impact" on spending. Gasoline prices have been more closely tied to Brent crude prices, and while benchmark crude has jumped over the past few weeks, gas prices have remained closer to their recent lows , according to BIG.