This reminds me of some experiments that have been done with sounds to change how the brain is working in the short term. At the most basic, some of them had the same type of goal (get the same results as if one had put a chemical into their body). This isn't a new concept (various methods of altering consciousness have been around for thousands of years at least, and sound seems to have been a part of it for a long time). Even some modern methods use more than just sound, but sound is often used, and it is my personal belief that there are at least 2 parts to this. The first is that it does work in some ways (sorry for the lack of links to credible sources, however I remember some scientific research into some aspects of this). The second is more interesting, and builds on the first.
The placebo effect is a part of it, as is conditioning. The conditioning doesn't initially play a big part in what you are asking about, but in some of the more complete sensory experiences it does...for example, if you listen to the same music whenever you do a certain thing you may condition yourself to have your mind and body return to that state when you hear the song (I haven't confirmed this myself, but I have seen interesting things with people working out to certain music, and how they act later when the music is introduced). Then again, and probably more likely, it could just be a variation on the placebo effect, but slightly different (in the music example I mentioned, if they think they are expected to act a certain way because of the music, they do). So really, I think if some part of yourself says "hey, maybe this works" you might believe it, and either find the proof, or create the supporting evidence. That doesn't mean it doesn't work, but the way it works could be as "simple" as the tricks advertising uses.
Another thing you could try is changing what you do and how you think about it without the middle man. In other words, program yourself instead of using an outside source. If you want the caffeine like reaction, pay attention to your body and mind and figure out what works for you. Also, it doesn't hurt to get up and move around if you need to stay awake.
