Jarome Luai will retain his status as the face of Pepsi in Papua New Guinea, while wearing Coca-Cola's logo on field as they become one of the Chiefs' new major sponsors.
The Chiefs confirmed on Monday that Coke would join as a sleeve sponsor for the first three seasons, on a deal believed to be worth more than $5 million in total.
That will see Luai forming part of club-wide Coca-Cola branding, while also keeping his deal with Pepsi that is worth an estimated $300,000 a year.
Crossover between branding is not uncommon in sports, from individual boot deals to club jersey deals.
But this stands out given Pepsi and Coca-Cola hold the biggest branding rivalry in the world.
"Situations happen where individual players have commercial relationships with one brand that can sit alongside the club's partnerships," Chiefs CEO Lorna McPherson told AAP.
"Jarome's deal with Pepsi is an individual endorsement, it has nothing to do with the PNG Chiefs at all. They can't use the Chiefs' brand.
"Coke's partnership is with us and the PNG Chiefs.
"It's completely different contracts with different parameters, and clear directives on how each brand can operate ... Pepsi is clear on that and so is coke."
Beyond his Pepsi deal, Luai and Gold Coast talent Cooper Bai have also signed deals with PNG food company Trukai in recent months.
All third-party deals must be organised at arms-length from clubs with teams unable to organise them for players.
But the lure of marketing money in PNG has the potential of being appealing to any prospective players, once the Chiefs can hit the open market on November 1.
"If people are considering joining a new club, they are looking at much more than what a team can bring them," McPherson said.
"They want to make sure they are joining an organisation that is going to help their own profile and create opportunities for a commercial platform as well.
"Because of the exposure and strength of our brand, when a player comes into that environment and can see global brands interested, it makes it very enticing."
The Chiefs' Coca-Cola deal will include initial funding over the next 12 months, before becoming the richest sleeve sponsorship contract in the NRL.
It will also mark Coca-Cola's largest investment in a club out of the 10 they already partner with, and goes with a $15 million front-of-jersey deal with Bank South Pacific.
The nature of PNG's set up means there will be a heavier reliance on sponsorship dollars in the franchise's revenue stream, but the Chiefs also want a larger impact.
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Coca-Cola has been a long-time sponsor of the PNG RFL and will support a grassroots program, while Bank South Pacific will roll out financial literacy education in the pathways.
"It's about thinking long term and thinking how can we make sure the project is sustainable after some of the (government) funding is no longer there," McPherson said.
"People aren't thinking out the box when people say PNG won't have enough commercial partners to survive.
"That's not true. We're proving them wrong and the proof is in the pudding. You just have to think a little differently, because it's not a normal NRL model."
Australian Associated Press
