Forever A Surfer Magazine

Activating Brand Presence at the US Surf Open

Project Overview

The FAS Surf Magazine was a marketing initiative designed for the surf company FAS Movement. It aimed to activate its “Forever a Surfer” campaign to connect with 700,000 surf enthusiasts during the Vans US Open of Surfing in Huntington Beach, California. The magazine captures the raw essence of surf culture through unfiltered photography and authentic lifestyle stories from local surfers and followers of the Forever a Surfer lifestyle movement. In conjunction with their presence at the Surf Open, Fas Surf set up a table to distribute the magazine for free and sell additional copies to increase brand awareness. Instead of merely promoting products, we crafted a piece that surfers genuinely wanted to keep—a cultural artifact that resonated with them. This magazine drove engagement and positioned Fas Surf as a legitimate supporter of the local surf community. As a result, our magazine became one of those rare marketing pieces that made it home from Huntington Beach.

My Role

For this project, I wore two hats: brand designer encompassing the magazine’s creative vision—from photography direction and typography selection to paper stock and binding decisions—and designer of the event booth experience.

Project Duration: June - August 2016

Team: Fas Lebbie, Nick Jones, Lance Lowry, Johnny Graham

Campaign Background

The US Surf Open in Huntington Beach, California, attracts over 700,000 attendees eager to see the world’s top surfers compete. At this event, FAS Surf designed and delivered a lifestyle magazine that engaged attendees through authentic brand storytelling. The magazine featured local surfers from notable surf locations, weaving stories with clothing showcasing everyday life’s cultures. This initiative aimed to raise awareness of the company’s humanitarian efforts and connect genuinely with the community in an industry where brands often seem like outsiders.

Standard lifestyle magazines use polished images and promote products, often missing the raw, authentic spirit of real surf culture.

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My Approach

Growing up in San Clemente, a surf town, deeply influenced my understanding of surf culture, which became an integral part of my life as a healthy alternative lifestyle. As a strategic designer, I prioritize authenticity in this project, ensuring that every design element reflects the true essence of surf culture and often share drafts with locals, who provide honest feedback and call out anything that feels inauthentic.

Design Process

Research, Campaign, & Implementation Strategy

To effectively connect with the surf community through the Forever A Surfer magazine, I focused our research on how brands engage with surfers at major events. We conducted photo documentation, interviewed local surfers, and analyzed successful publications within the industry. The research influenced a minimalist design that reflects the surf community’s values, utilizing documentary-style photography to capture authentic, candid moments rather than staged poses. By weaving product stories seamlessly into lifestyle narratives, I aim to create content that resonates deeply with surfers, offering them something meaningful and valuable that aligns with their love for the sport and its culture. We focused on strategic distribution in high-traffic areas during the Vans US Open, where each placement felt like a natural discovery, treating the magazine as a cultural artifact rather than promotional material.

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Campaign Outcome

The “Forever A Surfer” campaign found natural expression through personal stories and candid imagery. We position the magazine as deep local cultural artifacts, which helped us activate new followers through our social media platforms, where we saw a 30% spike in our Instagram mentions and followers on the day and throughout the week, gaining at the time 1200+ followers. The Forever A Surfer magazine was featured in three local surf culture blogs, which helped strengthen relationships with key surf community influencers. Above all, the magazine established a new visual language for the brand’s surf culture engagement and served as a reusable template for marketing.

Most lifestyle magazines focus on perfect images and selling products, but they miss the true, honest vibe of surf culture.

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