Genentech was an early adopter of branded company podcasts, with their 2016 debut of:

Two Scientists Walk Into a Bar 

And I give them a lot of credit for going all in on the theme! The show highlights the scientists and research areas where the company is innovating. It’s interesting to hear from the people directly involved in the research, which is also a common structure for podcasts from universities. The Genentech show takes the “in a bar” concept almost literally. At first I couldn’t figure out why there was a significant level of background white noise / chatter in the soundscape - they use it reinforce the idea that the hosts are discussing and introducing the topic in a crowded bar environment.

It’s a fun touch, and living in the Bay Area I also appreciate that they’ve long been promoting the podcast through advertisements on the side of their corporate buses driving in the carpool lanes past slow traffic.

And, I’m highlighting the show now because it’s back for a fifth season after a long hiatus with hosts Maria Wilson and Danielle Mandikian. After launching in 2016, season two followed up in 2017, then they had two year breaks to S3 in 2019, S4 in 2021, and an almost three full year gap to the current season. Welcome back!