21GRAMS

21GRAMS: Overview

21GRAMS is a healthcare advertising and marketing agency that operates as part of Real Chemistry. The agency was founded on the belief that healthcare advertising should hold the same creative and emotional standards as the consumer brands people love. Their name comes from a 1907 medical experiment by Dr. Duncan MacDougall, who theorized that the human soul weighs 21 grams—the unaccounted-for loss of mass when life leaves the body. This concept represents the agency's mission: to focus on the human spirit, the intangible "something" that motivates and inspires people to act.

What sets 21GRAMS apart is their focus on understanding what makes people tick. The agency rejects traditional healthcare marketing's clinical, detached approach in favor of work that taps into genuine human emotion and connection. They believe that medicine—which can cure disease, help people breathe, and create time when time is running out—deserves advertising that's more inspiring than sneaker campaigns.

As commercialization experts, 21GRAMS specializes in strategic and creative work across a brand's entire lifecycle. They leverage an award-winning formula built on three pillars: getting to know audiences deeply, telling compelling stories, and making people feel something meaningful. The agency holds healthcare to higher standards precisely because there's more at stake—a failed healthcare ad could mean the difference between life and death, not just a few hundred sales.

The agency operates with a unique philosophy they call "gramsness," inspired by Maya Angelou's observation that people will forget what you said and did, but never forget how you made them feel.

What Services Does 21GRAMS Provide?

21GRAMS offers comprehensive advertising and marketing services designed to move people through strategic and creative work:

Brand Building & Market Shaping

• Strategic brand positioning
• Market shaping strategies
• Brand lifecycle management (from launch through maturity)

HCP & Patient Engagement

• Healthcare professional (HCP) engagement campaigns
• Patient-focused marketing and education
• Audience insights and research

Production

• Creative content development
• Multi-channel production capabilities

Experience

• Experiential marketing
• Patient and HCP experiences

What Industries Does 21GRAMS Serve?

Healthcare & Pharmaceuticals

• Pharmaceutical brands
• Medical devices
• Healthcare services
• Life sciences

The agency specializes exclusively in the healthcare sector, working across the full spectrum of pharmaceutical and medical marketing needs—from pre-launch through commercialization and brand maturity.

Key Differentiators

• Human-Centered Philosophy: Focuses on the "21 grams"—the human spirit that drives decisions and emotions—rather than clinical, detached messaging
• Part of Real Chemistry: Operates as the advertising agency of Real Chemistry, providing commercialization expertise and strategic resources
• Award-Winning Formula: Three-pillar approach centered on knowing audiences, storytelling, and creating emotional impact
• Higher Standards for Healthcare: Holds healthcare advertising to the same creative standards as beloved consumer brands
• Global Presence: Dual headquarters in New York and London serving clients worldwide
• "Gramsness" Approach: Philosophy rooted in making people feel something memorable and meaningful

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