What it had to solve
Amica's second campaign with basketball star Jayson Tatum needed a twist on the classic athlete-comeback story.
The idea
Tell the sports comeback story as a countdown: each number is a real rehab milestone, ending at 0 — Tatum's jersey and his starting point.
How it works
A film directed by Ray Smiling, built with real numbers and rehab exercises from Tatum's recovery, premiered in a Celtics–Lakers broadcast, with short-form content, an activation and a Greater Boston OOH takeover.
What it did
No metrics; the spot made its broadcast premiere during the Celtics–Lakers game on February 22, 2026, with OOH across Greater Boston to follow.
Background
Amica Insurance partnered with Jayson Tatum for a second time on 'Back to Zero', a campaign built on the classic sports comeback story with a twist: instead of focusing only on an athlete's toughness, it highlights the support system that enables the comeback. Tatum wears number zero, which led Mother to tell his recovery as a countdown — each number marking a different aspect of his rehabilitation and personal life.
Directed by Ray Smiling, the film was built with real numbers and rehab exercises from Tatum's actual recovery so every beat felt grounded, creative director Patrick Horton said — each step bringing him closer to getting back in his '0' jersey, 'back to zero in the way only his journey could define.' The spot made its broadcast premiere during the Boston Celtics' game against the Los Angeles Lakers on February 22, 2026, with short-form content, an activation and an OOH takeover across Greater Boston to follow.
Why it lands
The jersey number gave the campaign a ready-made structure — a countdown — that turns rehab milestones into suspense.
Framing the support system, not just toughness, fit an insurance brand whose job is standing behind people.
Real rehab details kept the metaphor honest, in a comeback story audiences have learned to be cynical about.
What you can take
Own what your spokesperson already carries: a jersey number is a narrative device no script could invent
Since then
'Back to Zero' premiered nationally in the Celtics–Lakers broadcast and extended across digital, social, an activation and a Greater Boston outdoor takeover; performance metrics were not published in the material.
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