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 truly resonates with a lifestyle and a community, few projects hit as close to home as this one. We recently had the opportunity to collaborate with Soul Arch Surf Club, a fresh and inspiring brand based in Vero Beach, Florida, that seamlessly blends surf culture, creative energy, and community connection.

Founded by the ever-creative Emily Zeck (aka @thatpineapplegirl), Soul Arch Surf Club is far more than just a surf-inspired apparel company. It’s a full-fledged creative collective, a coworking and studio space, and a place where artists, surfers, and free spirits come together under one shared roof — with the sound of the ocean never too far in the background.

As a branding studio rooted in coastal Florida, this project struck a chord with us at 63 Visual. There’s something powerful about working with people who see the world through a similar lens — one shaped by salt air, creative hustle, and a love for building community.

Building a Brand That Embodies Surf Culture

The surf lifestyle isn’t just about catching waves — it’s about attitude, flow, and freedom. And that’s exactly what Soul Arch Surf Club represents. The name itself is a nod to a classic surf maneuver — the soul arch — where a surfer rides with maximum style, body arched gracefully, arms outstretched, flowing in rhythm with the wave. That ethos is embedded into every part of the brand.

Our goal in this project was to visually represent that energy. We wanted to create a brand identity that felt authentically surf, but also clean, versatile, and professional enough to support Emily’s long-term vision: a physical and digital home for creatives, entrepreneurs, and ocean lovers alike.

The logo system we designed is simple but strong, with vintage surf tones, bold type, and custom iconography that nods to both the artistry and athleticism of surf culture. We incorporated hand-drawn elements, textures, and playful coastal touches — not in a kitschy or cliché way, but in a way that feels grounded in real Florida beach-town energy.

Why This Project Resonated with Us

At 63 Visual, we don’t just design logos — we build brands with soul. And when we say that, we mean brands that have a deeper purpose, a heartbeat, and a reason for being beyond making a quick sale. That’s what made working with Emily and the Soul Arch team so rewarding.

Their mission — to foster a creative community centered around the surf lifestyle — mirrors a lot of what we’ve built here in our own corner of Northeast Florida. Our studio is based in Jacksonville Beach, inside the buzzing creative ecosystem that is Ink Factory Brewing — part brewery, part surf shop, part collaborative coworking hub. So when we connected with Soul Arch, it was like meeting a creative cousin from down the coast.

We understood their vision immediately because we live it too — building spaces (both physical and digital) where design, surf, and creative entrepreneurship all intersect.

A Creative Partnership That Just Clicked

From the very first call, we could tell this was going to be a fun ride. Emily brought a ton of energy, curiosity, and creative passion to the table. She’s got an eye for aesthetics, a strong sense of her audience, and a genuine love for what she’s creating — all the key ingredients for a brand with staying power.

As we worked through discovery sessions, visual moodboarding, and logo concepts, the collaboration felt easy and electric. We weren’t just executing a client request — we were building something together. There were late-night Slack messages full of excitement, references to retro surf films and vintage tees, and lots of back-and-forth to get every detail just right.

Ultimately, that’s what great branding is about. It’s not just what it looks like — it’s how it feels. Soul Arch Surf Club needed to feel like a wave of creativity you wanted to be part of. We think we nailed it, and we’re proud of the result.

More Than Merch: A Surf Collective and Coworking Space

While Soul Arch has a strong foundation in apparel — think cozy hoodies, retro-style tees, and locally designed gear — the brand is also building something bigger and more ambitious. At its core, Soul Arch is developing into a coworking studio and gathering space for creatives in the Vero Beach area.

This blending of surf culture with modern creative entrepreneurship is something we believe is on the rise, and we’re excited to see where Emily and her team take it. In many ways, it’s a return to the roots of surfing — not as a sport, but as a creative subculture. Think design studios next to board shapers, filmmakers working across from illustrators, photographers editing wave shots next to startup founders. It’s all connected.

We love seeing how Soul Arch Surf Club is creating a platform for that kind of shared experience — one where surfing and creativity aren’t two separate worlds, but rather two expressions of the same lifestyle.

Surf Branding That Connects and Inspires

The best branding doesn’t just make you look cool — it helps people understand who you are, what you stand for, and why they should care. With Soul Arch, we had the privilege of helping tell a story that’s bigger than just a product line. We helped 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 is clear now in everything from the logo to the packaging to the tone of voice on their social media and website. And that’s exactly how it should be.

Surfing Into the Future

As Soul Arch Surf Club continues to grow its reach — both as an apparel brand and as a creative hub — we’ll be cheering them on from the dunes up here in Jacksonville Beach. Working on this project reminded us why we love what we do: because it’s not just design work. It’s relationship-building, storytelling, and being part of something bigger.

We’re stoked to see the waves that Soul Arch is making, and we’re proud to have played a small part in helping them paddle out.