Westland Funeral Services' slogan has captured the hearts of locals. Photo / Supplied
Herald reporter Heath Moore is spending five weeks in a Maui campervan following the Lions fans. This is his latest report.
Some say they're killing it. And they'd be right.
Does Greymouth Marist's golden oldies rugby side have the quirkiest shirt sponsor in New Zealand?
I think so!
After the club's over-35s rugby side had their jerseys stolen a couple of years ago Marist stalwarts Adam Gilshnan and David Neame came up with the idea to supply new shirts but this time with a sponsor.
Neame's Westland Funeral Services stepped up to the plate and what the club received is probably one of the best shirt sponsors you'll see.
"Between the two of us we came up with the slogan 'We'll see you at full time' and then his co-worker came up with the artwork," Gilshnan, who started the Adopt a Lions fan campaign, told the Herald.
"Funeral directors have a pretty good sense of humour. We told Neamie it's very kind of you to sponsor us, we just hope we don't see you down here in a professional capacity any time soon!"
Undertaker Neame purchased Westland Funeral Services in 2009 while playing rugby for Greymouth Marist and saw sponsorship as his way to give back to the club.
"We try to look at unusual ways of advertising. You can bang away at newspapers and on radio but it can get very stale. People have heard it all before. I want to approach it differently and get people thinking that we are giving club sponsorship and putting back into the community."
As for the slogan, Neame told the Herald is was a balancing act between trying to be funny while not disrespecting those who have passed.
"I want to make it funny but I don't want to insult the deceased. I didn't want to give people the impression we're a bunch of jokers and all we do is think it's humorous.
"But the old guys at the club have embraced it telling me 'you'll be seeing me soon'. I wanted to make it a little quirky, a little funny but not rude.
"The full time aspect is a play on the game, and the 'well see you' could mean we'll see you at the end of your life or at the end of the bar. It's open to interpretation."
The shirts with their new sponsor was worn by the team over the weekend with opposition and club members loving the gag.
While the slogan and sponsor has created a lot of laughs and positive feedback, there is a serious message behind Neame's creation.
"The funeral industry can be very bland and serious. Not everyone is upset by death. The majority of people can see a lighter side to death, it's not all doom and gloom. It's part of life. I think most people will see the funny side and won't be offended by it."
• Heath Moore travelled in a campervan provided by Maui, who had no control over editorial coverage.
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