I don't see them as "plays" but "flags" to advertise to others what club they are a part of.

Like, biker clubs with their leather jackets covered in patches. Usually those patches are there to look cool, they're supposed to mean something if you're "in the know".

So, I'm thinking these things are more like a "wink and nod" to potential allies/confederates that might not be vocal about which side of things they are on in the same way that wearing a rainbow flag pin nowadays or a highly visible safety pin used to be.