Harrell Media Group Announces Continued Use of Arial Font Following Exhaustive Review

**FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE**

*Nashville firm opts for readability over nostalgia in wake of State Department’s Times New Roman pivot*

NASHVILLE, TN – December 12, 2025 – While the U.S. State Department spent this week announcing its groundbreaking return to the Times New Roman font, Harrell Media Group conducted an exhaustive 47-second review of its current font choice and has decided: we’re good.

“We quickly reviewed our Arial font and decided to keep it,” announced Ron Harrell, Principal StoryFinder and Founder of Harrell Media Group.

“Our clients have deeper concerns. Like whether their brand story actually makes sense, or whether their messaging aligns with their purpose, and whether the noise of the product is diluting the main message. Font drama? That’s a luxury problem we’ll leave to the diplomats,” said Harrell.

The Brand, Leadership and Talent development firm originally used the Helvetica font, widely regarded as the most durable sans-serif typeface since its introduction in the late 1950s. “Not flashy, not arrogant, just effective,” said Harrell. “It fit with the Harrell Media Group culture.”

“As a native Canadian, when I discovered Helvetica was the official font of Canada’s government websites and documents, I wanted to non-verbally express that subtlety,” Harrell added. “Because nothing says ‘brand identity’ like patriotism in 12-point type.”

“We’re efficient like that.” – Harrell

However, further research indicated readers, particularly those with dyslexia and visual processing challenges, often prefer sans-serif fonts like Arial for digital content.

“There are many excellent accessible typefaces available,” Harrell noted. “But Arial was first alphabetically, so we stopped scrolling. We’re efficient like that.”

While Harrell applauds the State Department’s commitment to making diplomatic cables look like they’re ready for a 1985 law firm letterhead, the consultancy will continue prioritizing what actually matters: clear communication connecting with real humans.

“At the end of the day, your font choice isn’t your biggest branding problem,” Harrell said. “But if you’re spending more time debating serifs than understanding your audience, we should probably talk.”

For organizations wondering how Harrell Media Group can help brands Reduce The Noise To Increase The Volume®, visit Harrell Media Group and easily read the Arial typography. Note: The logo is a combination of Futura Bold, Gotham Bold, Helvetica Neue and Montserrat. Logos have different purposes. Plus, we made it ourselves and we can’t locate the original file.

Harrell Media Group partners with organizations and talent to ReFind and tell their story—the one that actually creates a difference in the brand. Based in Nashville, Harrell Media Group specializes in clarity through Brand, Leadership and Talent development. Unlike some government agencies, we believe readability beats nostalgia every time.