Howdy! I'm Tom Arthur, a recent graduate from Chapman University with a degree in Public Relations and Advertising. I love to figure out how stuff works and share my ideas about how to make stuff better with you!
sign of the times [cool signs]
It seems all is not down and out in the world of information signage. Some new, well new to me, signs at Chipotle, AMC Theaters and Tokyo DisneySea recently caught my attention. Chipotle Mexican Grill: New Menu Displays Chipotle recently refreshed their menu displays with new very simple and very easy to read boards. In [...]
universal bingo [fun at theme parks]
Universal Studios. I always feel like the attractions are designed with the intention of being perfect…and then it all goes to shit at the last minute. I’m not sure why so many of the attractions fail. Maybe it is the same off-the-shelf effects being used in the same way on multiple attractions, the terrible timing, [...]
sound branding [my favorite sounds]
I’m fascinated by how jingles, musical tones and particular voices can instantly conjour up imagery and brand messages. Some are more obvious than others, such as the Intel tone or State Farm jingle. But have you noticed the missed opportunities for sound branding that surround (sorry) us? Such as our commuter rail system Metrolink here [...]
we won the national student advertising competition [NSAC]
This is a little late but the Chapman University team, of which I was a member, won the American Advertising Federation National Student Advertising Competition! We competed against 15 other teams, and some really amazing campaigns. In the end, we were selected as the first place winner. Chapman University posted a press release and even [...]


