Hello, friends!
You’re watching Brzhechko&Nobody — the only place on YouTube where pharmaceutical advertising meets deep psychology, archetypes, mythology… and yes — today even alchemy.
I know. It sounds wild. But stay with me — because this could completely change the way you create ads.
If you’ve ever struggled to make a pharmaceutical ad that actually sells, that doesn’t just inform but convinces — that moves the viewer to act — then this approach is for you.
What I’m about to share isn’t just metaphor or my own point of view.
It’s a working model — a powerful psychological framework — that shows how advertising actually works on a deep, unconscious level.
And today we’ll use it to uncover one of the most mysterious and powerful archetypes in all of pharmaceutical advertising — the archetype of Medicine as the Philosopher’s Stone.
We’ll explore what this means, where it comes from, and most importantly — how you can apply it to craft ads that don’t just treat symptoms… but transform belief.
Let’s begin.
What Was Alchemy Really About?
Before we dive into advertising, let’s take a step back — way back.
Alchemy dates back to ancient Egypt, Greece, India, and especially the Islamic Golden Age and medieval Europe. For centuries, alchemists weren’t just mystical dreamers — they were chemists, doctors, philosophers, and spiritual seekers all in one.
But what were they really after?
The Philosopher’s Stone — a legendary substance that could:
• Turn base metals into gold (symbolizing inner perfection),
• Create the Elixir of Life — a magical potion believed to heal all illness and grant immortality,
• And unlock deep spiritual transformation.
Alchemy wasn’t just about physical change. It was about psychological transmutation — turning the “lead” of the human soul into the “gold” of wholeness.
And that… is exactly what pharmaceutical advertising should be doing.
The Medicine as Archetype of Transmutation
Let’s bring this into the modern world.
In Jungian psychology, archetypes are universal psychic structures that shape our thoughts, feelings, and behaviors. In pharmaceutical advertising, we work with three core roles:
1. The Sick Person — in shadow;
2. The Healer — in their healthy, active form;
3. The Medicine — and this is the star of today’s episode.
The Medicine, when presented correctly, isn’t just a product.
It becomes the Philosopher’s Stone.
It’s the elixir that transforms not just the symptoms — but the psyche of the sick person. It activates an inner journey, a return to balance and vitality.
In myth, the Philosopher’s Stone doesn’t just fix something — it completes the person. It helps them become who they were always meant to be.
The Alchemical Process in Ads
So how does this look in advertising?
Imagine this:
• The shadow King — weak, helpless, bitter — is suffering.
• The Healer enters — the Mother, the Magician, the Divine Child — and offers the Medicine.
• The Medicine is shown as sacred, luminous, elevated.
And then — the transmutation happens.
The King returns to his throne. Not just cured — but restored to his full dignity, energy, and role.
This symbolic process mirrors alchemical transformation.
Lead becomes gold.
Sickness becomes strength.
Despair becomes hope.
Why This Works Psychologically
Now let’s move from magic… to science.
This metaphor works because of two key psychodynamic processes:
• Projection — the viewer sees themselves in the sick archetype;
• Transference — the viewer’s inner Healer activates and accepts the Medicine.
The more archetypal and mythic your ad is — the clearer the transformation becomes. And that clarity leads to belief. And belief leads to action.
Final Insight for Advertisers
Here’s the truth most creatives overlook:
The Medicine in your ad must be more than functional. It must be transformational.
Position it as the Philosopher’s Stone — the long-sought elixir that brings back balance, dignity, health.
Because that’s what sick people really seek — not just treatment, but transformation.
And when your ad delivers that — belief is born. And belief drives sales.
If this episode gave you a new way of seeing things — give it a like, subscribe, and hit the bell.
Join our Facebook community and visit my website for more insights into the myth, mind, and method behind pharmaceutical advertising.
I’m Yevhenii Brzhechko. This is Brzhechko&Nobody.
Sell not just medicine — sell healing.
Shoot it right!
