Delivering Florida vibes to Lake Eufaula with Nine Marina.
No. 9 Marina at Lake Eufaula in eastern Oklahoma had only one owner in its 50-year existence before entrepreneur Jake Nossaman purchased it in 2022. He spent his childhood summers at the marina and sought to elevate every detail, especially the branding, while remaining true to its roots. Inspired by the upscale style of Seaside, Florida, Jake envisioned the new No. 9 as a must-experience destination on the lake while also a lifestyle brand with an aesthetic far above the look and feel of the typical marina.
We learned that “lake time” was at the core of the Eufaula experience – a state of existence in which time slows and the challenges of everyday life melt away once the lake is in sight. We hit upon the perfect brand theme/tagline for No. 9 Marina’s new direction and took a big swing by suggesting they ditch the “No.” and simplify the name to “Nine Marina.” Thanks to the perfect pairing of wordmark typography and an instantly iconic “9 anchor” brandmark, “Lake Time Begins at Nine” was enthusiastically embraced by Jake and the entire marina team.
A refreshed color palette was a huge priority for the team since it would play a huge part in the complete reconstruction of the marina ship’s store, which included a large deck with a taqueria & cantina (which we also branded) and a massive, 16-pump fuel dock that has been referred to as “Buc-ees on the lake.” Fully collaborating with the development and architecture team, we picked a perfect aquamarine for the marina exterior that makes it truly impossible to ignore and articulates the level of style and sophistication that first-time visitors should expect.
Not only did we design interior, exterior and monument signage and various identity materials, we went all out in establishing a dynamic inventory of Nine Marina apparel to fill the retail shelves of their all new ship’s store, from simple logo iconography to detailed original illustration to themed “merch drops,” including a tropical “Ninearitaville” shirt that Brian swears is the most comfortable in his wardrobe. What had previously been a haven of stock catalog t-shirts and tank tops had been fully transformed into the upscale lifestyle brand Jake had dreamed of.
The all-new Nine Marina opened in the spring of 2023, setting records and dropping jaws across Lake Eufaula. The Robot House team visited late that summer for a day of boating, tubing, margarita-ing, shopping, and celebrating its undeniable success. We helped make Jake Nossaman’s dream a reality. We took on a “what if?” scenario and kept asking ourselves the same question to create a result exponentially greater than what could have happened otherwise. We turned a destination into a lifestyle brand by going full Robot House on it.
