Where Bold Ideas Take Flight.
Who We Are
Play Nice was born from one loud, unshakeable truth: Disruption is easy. Doing it with integrity? That’s the game.
We looked around and saw a sea of sameness—cold campaigns, copycat branding, and marketing machines churning our noise with zero soul. So, we built something, not just bolder – but better. A creative agency that leads with guts, operates with heart, and refuses to treat people like metrics.
Behind every product, every pixel, every campaign, there’s a real story—and real people. That’s who we show up for.
We’re not just marketers. We’re builders. Storytellers. Boundary pushers. Culture shapers. We build brands that don’t just compete—they connect.
Our Ethos
Excellence is never optional, and culture means more than clout (compliments are still welcome, of course). We walk the talk in everything we do – and we never settle for the first easy solution.
Our Values
Tune in:
We don’t just nod along- we actually listen. To our crew, clients, and anyone with something smart to say. Great ideas don’t come from echo chambers, and collaboration wins every damn time.
Run toward the fire:
Growth doesn’t come from playing it safe. Relentless curiosity and fearless ambition fuel our work. And pushing past convention is how we create legacy brands, built to last.
Exclusivity is overrated:
We champion perspective over consensus and know our boldest ideas are born from a clash of viewpoints, not a chorus of agreement.
No half-measures:
We’re obsessed with excellence. There are no short-cuts or lazy hacks—just relentless pursuit of flawless work, owning every detail, and getting it right, every single time.
Leave a legacy:
Brands are agents of social change, not just something to sell. Our work isn’t just marketing—it’s a mission to challenge the status quo, spark real cultural change, and leave the world kinder and more human than we found it.
Leader Profiles
Rachael Chestnut
Meet the woman who doesn’t have an off switch. As Founder and CEO of The Play Nice Agency, Rachael’s dedicated her career to helping brands rethink what’s possible—whether that’s a Fortune 500 powerhouse or a scrappy startup. Her award-winning work with clients like Deloitte, Leo Burnett, Saatchi & Saatchi, and MSL Group proves that strategy and creativity aren’t mutually exclusive—they’re a power couple.
As a people-centric business leader, Rachael is dedicated to giving back to her local Asheville community by supporting local businesses and causes that keep the city vibrant, weird, and a wonderful place to call home. Outside of her work in the community, you’ll likely find her in the woods foraging for cool rocks, testing NA beers in search of one that doesn’t taste like regret, or lobbying (unofficially) for yoga pants to qualify as “business casual.”
Jarred Hoelle
Jarred is The Play Nice Agency’s Partner and Creative Director—also known as our resident Wizard of Visual Sorcery. At Play Nice, Jarred leads the agency’s creative department, bringing over two decades of experience working with high-profile brands, using creative strategy to solve real business problems—not simply make them look better.
From brand identities and logos to websites, motion, video, and integrated creative campaigns, Jarred’s MO is turning real business challenges into smart and compelling creative solutions that stand the test of time.
His approach to creative strategy is simple: close the gap between what a business has built and how it’s communicating its value through distinctive visual systems, intuitive digital experiences, and creative that works as hard as the business behind it.
