From Longman Dictionary of Contemporary Englishplay on/upon something phrasal verbUSE somethingto use a feeling, fact, or idea in order to get what you want, often in an unfair way The ad plays on our emotions, showing a doctor holding a newborn baby. → play→ See Verb table
Examples from the Corpus
play on/upon • Senior Pat Graham is playing on a sore, possibly broken, foot.• The ties will be played on April 6 and April 20.• Leckie, too, liked to play on his ties to Symington.• But referee Neale Barry waved play on much to Ince's fury.• Collins saw the play on television and winced.• He also plays on three albums with Paul, two with Michael Brecker and one with Maria Schneider.• Mat a brute that man must be who said that the finest instrument to play upon was a sensitive impressionable woman!• None the less the play on words is there in the text, and is appropriate. 