Zion Adissem

As a copywriter, Zion Adissem is constantly thinking about how to communicate ideas that stick, whether it’s through a billboard, TV screen, or social media feed. But which words can make that impression – and how do you get them to connect to people on a deeper level? For Zion, everyday conversations are a way to unlock all of that. His curiosity is an intentional practice that has proven valuable in broadening his points of view and boosting his creativity. We find out how it’s been a through line in his journey – and why it’s made all the difference as a journalist-turned-copywriter who didn’t know what kind of creative he wanted to be, and embraced the uncertainty all the same.

What I do

How would you describe what you do?
I come up with creative ideas for brands that help them excite their fans and consumers. Since I work in an advertising agency, my job mostly revolves around writing, ideating and pitching concepts for ad campaigns, and I typically collaborate with an art director during the process.

What are the main influences and inspirations behind your work?
A lot of my work is genuinely influenced by the conversations I have with people. Close friends, family and even strangers have said things to me in passing that I either held on to or wrote down because they were so insightful. For me, a large part of developing ideas comes down to finding common threads between cultures, behaviors, beliefs, people – and actively listening reveals interesting things about the way humans think. Along with that, music, memes and my favorite films also play a part in influencing my creative work.

Would you say you need any specific training for what you do?
Yes, I’d say it’s necessary to have some kind of training as a copywriter – whether that’s through a portfolio school, apprenticeship or internship. I was fortunate enough to attend ONE School and I know of colleagues who attended other courses like The Book Shop’s School for Ads. ONE School gave me the opportunity to build a portfolio alongside learning about copywriting and advertising directly from industry professionals.

What’s been your favorite project to work on from the past year, and why?
The "Sincerely, LA” campaign for KB Home, a Los Angeles-based homebuilder. My team and I developed the entire campaign – from strategy to creative execution – in just one week for a competition held by The One Club for Creativity.

Our task was to create a social-first campaign that could get young people to see LA through the eyes of those who call it home rather than through the lens of clichés. We landed on the insight that Gen Z rejects monoculture and is a generation that finds community within niche subcultures. So we decided to lean into the cultures, communities and commonalities that LA shares with other cities for the campaign. It was a creatively refreshing experience because I got to work with talented new people who had sharp and thoughtful perspectives.

What does a normal day-to-day usually look like for you?
A normal day for me currently consists of: coming up with ideas for social media content, producing said content, writing scripts, headlines and the occasional tag line, as well as vibing with my fellow creatives.

If there was a starter pack for your job, what would be in it?
Pen and notepad, MacBook Air, wired earphones, Honeycrisp apple, bottle of San Pellegrino, Spotify, Threads and Instagram.

Zion's workspace

How I got here

What was your journey like when you were first starting out in your career?
I kind of fell into copywriting as a career and I still think I’m just getting started. Although I had the desire and skill set to work in advertising, I was unsure of the kind of copywriter I wanted to be. Did I want to work for one brand or in an ad agency? If it was in an agency, should it be a big one or a small one? And would I rather help conceptualize big brand campaigns or focus more on writing?

Starting out, I knew I wanted to work in creative but I didn’t have a lot of confidence or understanding of how to best use my talents. Still, my first couple of years in advertising were a thrilling and insightful whirlwind. I began as an intern at Goodby Silverstein & Partners, then had a full-time role at Saatchi & Saatchi before I at RPA.

2025 Corolla FX skate decks concept Art Director: Alec Cheline

How did you go about landing your first few jobs, clients and/or commissions?
I was hot in the LinkedIn streets after finishing portfolio school in 2022 – and there was a push for finding Black talent around that time, so those first opportunities came in waves. I also sent out my portfolio to recruiters, interviewed with several companies and explored freelance opportunities.

What has been your biggest challenge along the way?
Getting out of my own way and learning as I go – not just about the process of producing creative work, but also about what my strengths and areas of improvement are as a creative.

What skills from your creative work have you found helpful — and vice versa?
Articulating concepts clearly and concisely is an insanely valuable skill to have as a creative. I’ve found it really helpful being able to communicate what I’m thinking in a way that can be understood by anyone.

How important are social media and self-promotion to your work?
I think social media and self-promotion are important to my profession – though they’re not the be-all and end-all. I lean on social media when it comes to sharing my photography and personal creative projects, but personally, I’ve found that showing up consistently in the workplace and being present in the creative community does more to strengthen my network and make connections.

What are three things that you’ve found useful to your work or career, and why?
Film photography – because it’s a creative outlet that fulfills me personally. Curiosity, as an intentional practice – because discovering and learning about new things broadens my perspective and enhances my creative thinking. Going to panel discussions and creative industry events has also helped me hear new insights from other people that I can apply to my own career.

What have been your greatest learnings with making money and supporting yourself as a creative?
Save your money when you’re making it. Work in the creative industry can be fickle, whether you’re freelancing or have full-time employment. When you’re disciplined with your money during the highs, it’s easier to ride out the lows.

Advice

What’s the best career-related advice you’ve ever received?
It’s the things you do outside of work that sustain you.

Where do you go to feel connected as a creative?
Being out in nature, going for a walk around my neighborhood or visiting a co-working space typically helps me feel connected as a creative person.

What advice would you give to someone looking to get into a similar role?
Study your craft diligently, have a clear idea of what drives you as a creative and be open to failure.

Start with looking for opportunities to learn the craft of copywriting. That could be through a portfolio school, apprenticeship or internship. You could even ask people you already know if they know someone who is a copywriter or works in advertising as a creative.

Then, build a portfolio of spec work that showcases your own creative point of view and way of thinking. Hone in on the creative work you’ve seen out in the world – whether it’s a billboard, print ad or TV commercial – and think about why it resonates with you as well as what makes it effective.