The hit podcast “Serial” was the audio investigation that launched a thousand true-crime dramas, inspiring podcasters across the country to attempt ambitious reporting projects with gritty subject matter. There were “Dirty John” and “Hollywood & Crime,” “Death in Ice Valley” and “Atlanta Monster.”

And then there was “The Sauce.”

That three-episode “investigative podcast” was released last year by the media company Gizmodo and had somewhat lower stakes than the exoneration of a convicted murderer. With an eerie soundtrack meant to recall “Serial,” the show examined the “mystery” of how McDonald’s underestimated demand for a popular dipping sauce, enraging thousands of its customers.

The twist? The hard-boiled investigator scrutinizing that sauce shortage was McDonald’s itself.

“The Sauce” was a branded podcast that McDonald’s paid Gizmodo to produce as a tongue-in-cheek apology to disappointed customers. While it’s no exposé, the show offers a vivid illustration of how companies are increasingly using the tropes of popular podcasts in their own audio projects. These are not advertisements, exactly, but subtle brand-building efforts intended to entertain as well as persuade.

This year, Facebook began a podcast about entrepreneurship called “Three and a Half Degrees,” and technology companies like Microsoft and Lyft have their own shows. In June, New Balance began collaborating with the podcasting company Gimlet on a show about clothing and sneaker culture.