The logo that would ‘Live Forever:’ Alumnus-built brand connects with golfers who want to have fun

The one thing that unites all golfers, including Auburn alumnus Scott Riley, is the shared experience of how challenging the game can be. So, when a photo of Riley’s friend, PGA golfer Matt Every, throwing a golf club in frustration went viral in 2019, he knew there was something special about that image. 

“Thankfully, the cameras were rolling as he proceeded to hurl his 54-degree wedge like he was Aaron Rodgers throwing up a Hail Mary,” Riley said. “I had an idea to turn Matt into a silhouette and use it as a logo, but the energy to start a new company wasn’t there yet.” 

Riley, who graduated from the College of Liberal Arts in 2003 with a bachelor’s degree in political science, kept the logo in the back of his mind. When COVID-19 hit a year later, Riley, Every and two friends began building a brand of golf gear that would have an emotional connection with audiences. 

“We wanted to inject our sense of style into golf, so with the world on pause, we decided to build a brand, and that’s when we went full throttle with Live Forever Golf,” Riley said. 

Building a brand 

Riley played golf very briefly for Auburn — “I walked on, and then I walked off and joined a fraternity,” he said — but he did play professionally on mini-tours for several years before retiring to help run his family’s wholesale paper distribution company, an experience he recalls by referencing the popular TV show “The Office.”  

“It was kind of like a Dunder Mifflin job,” he said. “I went around selling paper like Jim, then I got Michael’s job and became the branch manager.” 

Riley gravitated toward marketing and branding and learned on the job as he helped usher the paper company through a rebranding process. After the family sold the business, Riley found himself reconnecting with old friends through golf. 

“We’ve known each other since we were teenagers, and we all went our separate ways after high school and college,” he said. “The game of golf reunited us; it was the easiest way to hang out.” 

With their shared love of the game and the golf club-throwing logo in mind, the four friends started brainstorming and landed on the idea of selling high-quality gear for golfers who don’t take themselves too seriously. Fast forward five years, and Live Forever Golf is a rapidly growing company offering polo shirts, shorts, pants, outerwear and more.  

Success in sales 

Many of the company’s products feature the tongue-in-cheek logo Riley created years ago that speaks directly to the company’s target audience. 

“The logo is taken a couple different ways,” he said. “Some people are like, ‘Why is he throwing a golf club?’ And then some people are like, “Yes, that’s me, I’ve done that, I’ve felt that,’ and that’s who we’re after. 

“It’s okay if we alienate a certain portion of the population that doesn’t get it.” 

In addition to having a brand that connects with customers, Riley and his team also place great emphasis on customer service, fulfilling orders the same day they’re placed, addressing customer issues quickly and even including hand-written notes in every single order that is shipped. 

While the majority of sales are currently online, the company is quickly expanding into pro shops at high-profile courses and signing licensing agreements with collegiate athletic programs. Riley is hoping to eventually partner with Auburn Athletics, and he makes sure the company is always supporting fellow alumni on the PGA Tour, which currently includes Michael Johnson and Jacob Solomon. 

As the company continues to grow, Riley’s knowledge of digital marketing, branding and sales is coming in handy, and his Liberal Arts education, which he credits for his writing abilities, doesn’t hurt either. He and his co-founders continue to stay true to the brand’s messaging that golf should not be taken too seriously. 

Riley thinks the game should have more of a laid back, relaxed atmosphere, and he would love to see the industry loosen its dress code on the driving range, allowing golfers to wear what makes them comfortable — and his company to broaden its offerings. 

“I’d prefer to sweat in my sun hoodie and athletic shorts than a tucked-in polo and golf shorts,” he said. “My dream is to have two approved outfits for the golf clubs. I’ve always said if you showed up to baseball practice with a freshly pressed, tucked-in uniform, your buddies are going to look at you like you’re crazy.”