How Brett Player and his team are helping redefine today’s ever-changing marketing landscape.
By Michael J. Pallerino
When people hear the name “Play” for a company, they might not know what that company does. Do they produce games, toys, or playgrounds? But as their clients soon learn, they do something more fun than any of those. Play produces great ideas.
For instance, when Play was hired to update Zoo Atlanta’s brand and rework their website, they didn’t just think inside the box or inside the computer screen. “I was concentrating on Zoo Atlanta daily at that time,” says Play’s founder, Brett Player. “The Zoo had hired us only for our design work, but when my wife told me about another Zoo’s event, I couldn’t stop tossing it around in my head. So, I brought the idea of having a “Brew at the Zoo” event to the marketing team and they loved it. I mean, it is a great name, right?!” With wind in his sails, he then called a friend over at SweetWater Brewing and asked if they’d be interested in sponsoring the inaugural event and got an enthusiastic “Yes!” Play worked with the Zoo to brand and market the event.
What started as just a side thought today brings thousands of new visitors to the Zoo. “Brew at the Zoo” sells out often and features over 30 breweries, live music, and much more. It’s an Atlanta favorite and a huge success. In fact, Play, which was recently named a 2024 Cobb Top 25 Small Business of the Year by the Cobb Chamber, was excited once again to work with the Zoo to advertise the 10-year anniversary event just a couple of years ago. “It doesn’t matter if we’re hired for only one project or a full marketing plan,” continues Brett. “We’re always looking for ways to better serve the client and brand.”
Serious Play
“We all approach life by listening to our head and our heart, and seeing where that takes us,” says Brett. Founded in 2003, Play serves both local and national clients. The award-winning firm, which handles advertising, brand development, consumer research, digital, marketing, media buying, PR and social, was created in the image of its founder’s forever-creative mind. As Brett puts it, “We take outcomes seriously, but not ourselves. We have fun doing what we do best, creating inviting and engaging marketing messaging.” At Play, each team member has over a decade of experience in their craft. “Whether it’s our print production manager or our UX designer, it’s fun working with smart people and playing off their ideas — pun intended.” says Brett. “This leads to well-thought-out marketing and branding for our clients.”
If you are looking to find the center of Play’s universe, it can be found in the four principles upon which it was founded:
1. If you get to know the people around you then everyone will play better together.
2. The more creative and diverse those people, the more interesting the end results.
3. In order to win, you need a good team.
4. And don’t forget to have fun.
“By having a group of the right ‘players,’ you can customize your agency to each of your client’s needs,” Brett says. “It eliminates overhead and excessive man-hours, lowers costs, and provides excellent customer care.
The core of Play is their creative mindset. With all of them having worked at larger agencies and for large and small clients, they have formed a space where they could have an informal ‘think tank’ based on creative ideas and executions. “We feel that at other agencies, the end product is often wrapped up in undue layers of account management and overhead. This leads to a gap in the marketers and those actually creating the marketing. It’s this close collaboration and streamlined unity that leads to our success,” says Brett.
It’s that thought that has led to a diverse client base, as Play has worked with the likes of BMG Music, Cartoon Network, Clemson University, Coca-Cola, Google Nest Pro, Kilpatrick Townsend, Phoenix Air, SW&A, Spanx, TBS and TNT, The Home Depot, and the list goes on.
“We don’t have a Rolodex of clients,” Brett says with a grin. “We choose to work with people and products we truly believe in. That’s why our clients trust us, and we trust them, year over year. Like Home Depot used to say, ‘We’re doers.’ We like to understand the problem, roll our sleeves up, put together a plan and ‘get ‘er done.’” Whether working with an upstart or a brand with longevity, Play can partner to make each situation successful. “That’s our secret sauce. We don’t bog ourselves down in months of research, layers of management, and meetings. We instead shorten that phase, take the necessary strategy and produce breakthrough creative that works. We measure and adjust as needed, constantly honing in on getting better and better.”
The measure of success
Over the years, Play has worked on many high-profile projects. Play has designed 50-plus packages and brands for Spanx, filmed basketball icon LeBron James for Coca-Cola, created successful websites for Atlanta tech entrepreneur John P. Imlay, and a full marketing program for Google.
Today, the Play team has been intentionally quiet about working with small-, mid-, and large-sized brands that lean on it for their success. “Qualifying success comes with understanding our clients’ goals,” Brett said. “With one client we need to see continued year -over -year sales growth, which we measure ongoing. Another client may need a best-in-class website and marketing collateral to support their in-person events.”
In a marketing landscape that continues to evolve — think artificial intelligence (AI) — finding a partner committed to innovative and fun ways to communicate is critical. This is where Play continues to make its mark. “Our industry is always evolving, which can lead to some really interesting ways to communicate. We’ve come up with unique websites, geo-targeted solutions, AI initiated solutions, and designed mobile recruiting events. What’s important is that the strategy and message is natural for the customer, the brand, and the execution.”
As Brett explains to all his new clients, “too many brands today rush to use a new technology or media just because it is trendy, but they forget about the human side of communication. All the new tools, apps, widgets, and open-source AI still have the same purpose of the Gutenberg printing press, which is to bring us together. Technology should always support that human experience. The goal of marketing has always been to build and strengthen the relationship with a customer or audience. As fast as the world of communications is evolving, we never forget that every project is still very personal for the individual we’re trying to reach.”
Forging ahead, Brett and his team plan to stay on the road that has led them here. That means continuing to educate themselves on an industry that can change on a dime. Many of his team teach at the different marketing schools in Atlanta, which enables them to maintain a foundation of new knowledge for their clients and students.
In the end though, it’s about a connection and not a trend. “We have grown steadily by adding one or two clients every year,” Brett says. “We look for great brands, marketing directors, and owners so we can establish a strong partnership. We want to make sure we stay true to who we are and have fun doing what we love to do. So, we’ll take our time and grow organically with cool people and great relationships.”
