Branding the Surf Lifestyle and Creative Community

Written by Patrick Carter in ApparelDesignIllustrationLogo Design

Featured Project Friday: Soul Arch Surf Club

When it comes to branding that connects deeply with both a lifestyle and a community, this project felt especially close to home. We recently partnered with Soul Arch Surf Club, a fresh and inspiring brand out of Vero Beach, Florida. They’ve built something that blends surf culture, creative energy, and community connection in a way that feels natural and authentic.

Founded by the ever-creative Emily Zeck (aka @awheckitsemilyzeck), Soul Arch Surf Club goes far beyond surf-inspired apparel. It’s a full-fledged creative collective, a coworking and studio space, and a gathering place for artists, surfers, and free spirits — all within earshot of the Atlantic.

As a branding studio rooted in coastal Florida, this project struck a chord with us at 63 Visual. There’s a special kind of energy that comes from working with people who share a similar perspective — one shaped by salt air, creative hustle, and community-building.

Building a Brand That Embodies Surf Culture

The surf lifestyle is about attitude, freedom, and flow. That’s exactly what Soul Arch Surf Club represents. Even the name is a nod to the classic “soul arch” maneuver, a timeless symbol of style and grace in surfing. That spirit runs through every part of the brand.

Our role was to visually capture that energy. The goal was to create an identity that felt authentically surf, yet clean, versatile, and professional enough to carry Emily’s long-term vision: building a creative and entrepreneurial hub for ocean lovers, designers, and entrepreneurs.

The logo system is simple but strong — vintage surf tones, bold type, and custom iconography that reflect both artistry and athleticism. We added hand-drawn details and coastal textures that feel rooted in Florida beach-town culture rather than cliché surf tropes.

Why This Project Resonated With Us

At 63 Visual, we craft brands with soul, with a heartbeat and purpose. That’s why collaborating with Emily and the Soul Arch team felt so rewarding.

Their mission — to foster a creative community built around the surf lifestyle — mirrors much of what we’ve built here in Jacksonville Beach. Our studio sits inside the buzzing creative hub at Ink Factory Brewing — part brewery, part surf shop, part coworking space. Meeting Soul Arch felt like connecting with a creative cousin down the coast.

We understood their vision right away because we live it too — building spaces where design, surf, and entrepreneurship all collide.

A Creative Partnership That Just Clicked

From our very first call, it was clear this was going to be special. Emily brought endless energy, curiosity, and creative passion. She has an eye for design, knows her audience, and has genuine love for what she’s building — all the ingredients for a brand with staying power.

Through discovery sessions, moodboarding, and logo development, the collaboration felt easy and electric. This was building something together. There were messages full of stoke, references to retro surf films, and plenty of back-and-forth to get every detail right. That’s what strong branding is about – how it feels. Soul Arch Surf Club needed to feel like a wave of creativity you wanted to ride. We think we captured that, and we’re proud of the result.

More Than Merch: A Surf Collective and Coworking Space

While Soul Arch has a strong base in apparel — retro tees, cozy hoodies, and locally designed surf gear — the vision is much bigger. At its core, Soul Arch is evolving into a coworking studio and gathering place for the Vero Beach creative community. This mix of surf culture with modern creative entrepreneurship feels timely. It harkens back to surfing’s roots — a creative subculture. Imagine board shapers next to designers, filmmakers across from illustrators, and photographers editing wave shots beside startup founders. That’s the kind of ecosystem they’re creating.

We love seeing Soul Arch Surf Club provide a platform for shared experiences — where surfing and creativity are two sides of the same lifestyle.

Surf Branding That Connects and Inspires

The best branding communicates who you are, what you stand for, and why it matters. With Soul Arch, we had the chance to help shape a brand that says:

“We’re here for the dreamers, the doers, the surfers, the artists. We’re here for the ones who create, who collaborate, and who find their rhythm by the water.”

That message now runs through everything — from the logo to the packaging to the voice of their website and social channels. That’s how branding should work.

Surfing Into the Future

As Soul Arch Surf Club grows, both as an apparel brand and a creative hub, we’ll be cheering them on from Jacksonville Beach. This project reminded us why we love what we do, for the sake of storytelling, relationship-building, and being part of something bigger.