From NFL to Audio: Mark Clayton’s LIVV Taps Agency for National Push

DALLAS, TX – February 05, 2026 – In a strategic move to amplify its presence in the competitive premium audio market, LIVV Audio has named The Uptown Agency as its official Agency of Record. The partnership pairs the athlete-founded headphone brand with an award-winning marketing powerhouse, both based in Texas, to accelerate a new phase of national growth and brand recognition.

LIVV Audio, founded by former University of Oklahoma standout and Baltimore Ravens wide receiver Mark Clayton, was born from the rigors of professional athletic training. The company specializes in premium active over-ear headphones designed to withstand intense movement without sacrificing sound quality. This new alliance with The Uptown Agency signals a deliberate push to scale the brand, moving it from a niche, performance-focused product to a household name for active consumers across the country.

From the Gridiron to High-Fidelity Audio

The story of LIVV Audio is intrinsically linked to the career of its founder. Mark Clayton, a two-time 1st Team All-American at Oklahoma and a formidable receiver for the Baltimore Ravens, didn't set out to become a tech entrepreneur. His inspiration came from a moment of frustration familiar to many athletes: a pair of popular headphones breaking mid-workout. This experience sparked an idea to create a product that could meet the demands he and other athletes placed on their gear.

"At LIVV, everything starts where movement and audio meet," said Clayton in the official announcement. "I built LIVV because I wanted an over-ear headphone that could keep up with training, travel, and real life on the move and help people stay in their flow with their music." This philosophy is a direct extension of his time in the NFL, where success is built on meticulous attention to detail and relentless performance.

Clayton's journey from the gridiron to audio gear provides the brand with a level of authenticity that is difficult to manufacture. The brand's tagline, "For athletes, by athletes," isn't just marketing copy; it's the company's origin story. This narrative is a powerful asset in a market where consumers, particularly in the fitness and wellness space, value genuine expertise and purpose-driven products. The challenge, now handed to The Uptown Agency, is to broadcast this story to a wider audience that extends beyond elite athletes to anyone who leads an active lifestyle.

Engineering Headphones for the Modern Athlete

LIVV Audio enters a crowded field dominated by established giants like Bose, Beats, and Sony. However, it aims to carve out its niche by focusing on a specific set of performance criteria that often get overlooked. The flagship LIVV Pro headphones are a testament to this focus, engineered to solve the common pain points of using audio equipment during physical activity.

Central to the design is a secure, ergonomic fit. The headphones are built to stay in place during high-impact training, a critical feature for runners, lifters, and cross-training enthusiasts. Beyond stability, the LIVV Pro boasts an impressive feature set tailored for the active user: an IPX4 rating for sweat and splash resistance, up to 50 hours of battery life to outlast multiple workouts, and removable, magnetic ear pads that can be easily cleaned or swapped—a simple yet ingenious solution to the hygiene issues of conventional gym headphones.

But durability doesn't come at the expense of audio quality. The headphones deliver premium sound with Active Noise Cancellation (ANC), allowing users to immerse themselves in their music or podcasts, whether in a noisy gym or on a cross-country flight. These features position the LIVV Pro, with a starting price of $349.99, squarely in the premium category. The brand is betting that for its target demographic—individuals who invest in high-performance gear for every other aspect of their active lives—a pair of headphones built to the same standard is a worthy investment.

The Marketing Playbook for National Expansion

To translate LIVV Audio's authentic story and robust product features into market share, The Uptown Agency will deploy an integrated, multi-channel strategy. The Dallas-based agency, which recently expanded its capabilities by acquiring the creative and media firm RBA, has a track record of scaling consumer-facing brands. Its work launching the premium rideshare service Alto in major U.S. markets and managing campaigns for global brands like Legends demonstrates a deep understanding of brand building and market penetration.

As Agency of Record, The Uptown Agency will oversee brand positioning, creative development, public relations, influencer engagement, digital media, and experiential activations. The goal is to create a cohesive and compelling brand narrative that resonates across fitness, lifestyle, and cultural touchpoints.

Joseph Alexander, President & CEO of The Uptown Agency, emphasized a strategy rooted in authenticity. "The best brand stories don't come from invention; they live in a company's DNA," he stated. "Our role is to tap into what's true about LIVV, how it merges movement and sound, and express that in communications that feel authentic and unmistakably LIVV."

This approach suggests a campaign that will heavily leverage Mark Clayton's founder story and the product's athlete-tested credentials. By focusing on influencer partnerships with credible figures in the fitness and sports communities and creating experiential events that allow consumers to test the product in action, the agency plans to build trust and drive demand from the ground up.

A Strategic Alliance in a Competitive Field

The partnership between LIVV Audio and The Uptown Agency represents more than a standard client-agency agreement; it's a strategic alliance aimed at disrupting the status quo. For LIVV Audio, which recently secured a $1.5 million investment round to fuel its growth, this is the moment to transition from a promising startup to a serious contender. The brand has a compelling product and a founder story that resonates, but it needs the marketing firepower and strategic guidance to cut through the noise.

By joining forces, these two Texas-based companies are poised to make a significant impact. The Uptown Agency's expertise in building brands will be critical in telling LIVV's story on a national stage, while LIVV's commitment to performance and authenticity provides the solid foundation needed for a lasting brand. As the collaboration gets underway, the industry will be watching to see if this combination of athletic grit and marketing savvy can successfully challenge the established leaders and help more consumers "LIVV in the movement."