Hi there, marketers and ad-makers.
Today we’re diving into one of the darkest, most uncomfortable — and most useful — psychological experiments ever conducted: Stanley Milgram’s obedience study.
Yeah, the one with the fake electric shocks. The one that proved most people would torture someone just because a man in the attire of authority told them to.
Sounds creepy?
Exactly. And that’s why it works. Especially in pharmaceutical advertising.
Let’s be clear:
Advertising isn’t meant to be liked. It’s meant to sell.
And in pharma, the things that work are often cold, strict, even uncomfortable — but they’re essential if you’re serious about results.
As humans, we might cringe.
As professionals, we act anyway.
You don’t ignore a red traffic light just because you don’t like the color red — or because you’re a “very creative person” who does everything your own special way.
Advertising, like everything else in this world, has deep structure and rules.
Ignore them, and you’re not being original — you’re just being dumb.
And you don’t ignore proven psychological levers just because they feel unpleasant.
One of those levers is archetypal rank — the psychological hierarchy we all subconsciously respond to.
People don’t obey just because someone looks the part.
They obey because, deep down, they feel that the character in front of them outranks them.
The viewer doesn’t follow the best design or clever wordplay.
They follow the person wearing the credibility costume — and carrying the rank to command belief.
What I’m about to say might upset your creative ego — but it will make your ads sell.
Let’s go.
[What Was the Milgram Experiment? — Expanded Version]
In the 1960s, psychologist Stanley Milgram set out to test a chilling question:
How far will ordinary people go in obeying authority — even if it means hurting someone else?
Here’s how the setup worked:
Participants arrived at Yale University believing they were taking part in a study on learning and memory.
They were told the experiment would test whether people learn better through punishment — in this case, electric shocks.
Each participant was assigned the role of the “Teacher.”
What they didn’t know was that the “Learner” was an actor, and the whole thing was rigged.
The Teacher’s job was to read word pairs aloud, then quiz the Learner.
Each time the Learner gave a wrong answer, the Teacher was instructed to administer a shock — increasing the voltage with each mistake.
In front of them was a realistic-looking shock generator, labeled from 15 volts (“Slight Shock”) all the way up to 450 volts (“XXX – Danger: Severe Shock”).
Each button was marked, lit up, clicked, and felt real.
At 75 volts, the Learner began grunting.
At 120 volts, he cried out in pain.
At 150, he begged to stop.
At 300, he refused to answer.
At 330, silence.
But through it all, the authority figure — the experimenter, dressed in the white coat — calmly repeated one of four scripted prompts:
“Please continue.”
“The experiment requires that you continue.”
“It is absolutely essential that you continue.”
“You have no other choice. You must continue.”
And guess what?
65% of participants went all the way to 450 volts.
They thought they were delivering a fatal shock — and they did it anyway.
Not because they were cruel.
But because someone who looked like they were in charge told them to.
This wasn’t about sadism. It was about the terrifying power of perceived authority — and how easily people transfer moral responsibility when that authority is present and confident.
[So What Does This Have to Do with Advertising?]
Let me be clear:
In pharma ads, you’re not selling pills.
You’re selling belief in pills.
And belief is not built with fireworks. Not with slogans. Not with catchy jingles.
Belief is built through one psychological mechanism: Authority and our tendency to follow it.
Just like in Milgram’s experiment, the viewer is waiting for someone in the credibility costume — with a steady voice and no hesitation — to say:
“This is what you need. Take it. It will help.”
And they’ll take it.
But not just anyone in that costume will do.
The archetype behind the character must carry rank.
This is critical.
The viewer doesn’t just follow someone in costume — they follow someone whose archetypal energy is higher than their own.
A high-ranking Healer — like the wise Magus, the strong King, or the nurturing Mother in her full power — can influence.
A low-rank figure — like a nervous intern, quirky neighbor, or unconvincing actor — can’t.
Why?
Because only high-rank archetypes activate projection.
Only then can transference happen.
And only then does your ad move from being seen… to being obeyed.
The most effective pharmaceutical ads activate Milgram’s obedience response without ever mentioning pain or fear.
They just look like structured, legitimate instruction — from someone who knows more and stands higher.
[Milgram + Advertising Psychodynamics]
Let’s put this into the psychodynamic structure.
You know the theory by now:
Sick Person → Shadow Archetype (Tyrant, Weakling, etc.)
Healer → Mother, Magus, or King in healthy form
Product → Philosopher’s Stone
But here’s what Milgram adds to the picture:
🔹 The Healer archetype only works if it has rank and authority.
🔹 Without perceived dominance, projection won’t happen.
🔹 Without projection → no transference → no action → no sales.
So, when you cast your Healer, make damn sure they don’t look like a trainee, waitress or a loser.
They need to be a source of legitimate authority.
Doctor. Pharmacist. Someone with rank. Not your friendly neighbor who just hopes you’ll get better.
Milgram showed us: people obey when authority is clear, confident, and structured.
In advertising, that means casting, staging, tone of voice, eye-line, and even lighting all need to enforce the invisible power structure that makes influence happen.
[Why “Creative” Ads Fail Here]
Let’s talk about that awful creative brief you got last week.
You know, the one where the art director said:
“Let’s make the doctor young, super relatable, give him some tattoos, a skateboard, and a quirky sense of humor — you know, something fresh!”
Then comes the most disgusting phrase I’ve ever heard in a creative meeting:
“People love jokes and fun.”
And the cherry on top?
“This works!”
Congratulations. You just destroyed the authority cue.
Your ad might win a Cannes Lion. But it won’t move product.
This is the real split between creative ego and psychodynamic truth.
If the Healer doesn’t have rank, Milgram’s mechanism doesn’t activate.
And if that doesn’t activate — you’re wasting your media budget.
Milgram’s experiment isn’t just a horror story from a psych textbook. It’s a mirror.
It shows us how humans respond to structured influence — and it offers a blueprint for building ads that actually work, especially when promoting low-motivation products like medicine.
The question is not “Will people like our ad?”
The question is “Will they obey its internal logic and act?”
To make that happen:
Archetypes must be crystal clear.
The Healer must radiate real authority.
The narrative must activate deep psychological mechanisms — not just visual pleasure.
And other important condition we will learn later.
This is what separates a nice commercial from a professional pharmaceutical Ad that sells.
[Final – Take This Seriously]
Some of you will say,
“This manipulates people. This is unethical.”
Let’s get real:
Pharmaceutical advertising already exists. People are already in pain.
You either sell them the illusion of choice — or you give them certainty.
Milgram showed us one thing:
Most people don’t want to choose.
They want to follow.
So build your ads accordingly.
You’re not just writing scripts —
You’re designing credibility costumes for belief.
[Outro]
If this blew your mind a little — good. That’s what we’re here for – to take you out of a great industrial mistakes and warm bath about Ad that it has to be liked.
In the next episode, we’ll talk about how to structure an ad using the Karpman Drama Triangle.
If this video rewired your thinking even slightly —
🔔 Like. Subscribe. Hit that bell.
💬 Drop a comment below about the worst “creative” pharma ad you’ve seen.
🧠 And visit brzhechkoandnobody.com for more tools to shoot ads that sell — not just impress and don’t forget to follow me on facebook.
This is Brzhechko&Nobody.
