Dominique Olivier
Outwit, outplay, outproduce: the day TV got real
A tropical island experiment, a writers’ strike, and a collapsing TV economy gave birth to modern day reality television. Get ready for a shot of nostalgia into your veins with the story of Survivor - and the fortunes made by TV networks. Dominique Olivier tells the story.
Dominique Olivier
The billion-dollar cameos: how do brands get themselves on the big screen?
There's a secret economy that turns movie props into million-dollar billboards. From paid placements like Heineken in James Bond through to surprisingly free exposure like Ray-Ban in Top Gun, brands and Hollywood have a fascinating relationship.
Dominique Olivier
Port Royal: the city that sank for its sins
Before there was Las Vegas, there was Port Royal: a city of pirates, plunder, and peril clinging to the southern edge of Jamaica. The 17th-century hotspot was once the beating, drunken heart of the Caribbean, until one Sunday in 1692, when the earth opened up and swallowed it whole (quite literally). There's more truth to Disney's tales of Captain Jack Sparrow than you might realise.
Dominique Olivier
The money of colour
Pantene, or panettone? When the name of your business makes people think of shampoo brands and Italian fruit cakes, you need to work hard to carve out a space for yourself in the consumer consciousness. Fortunately, a little Y2K panic helped Pantone do exactly that. Dominique Olivier brings you the business of colour.
Dominique Olivier
9 out of 10 doctors agree – for now, at least
When science gets tangled with money and politics, certainty is the first casualty. Just ask the cigarette-smoking doctors of the 1940s, or perhaps the Tylenol debaters of today. Dominique Olivier delivers a timely reminder of the risk of uncertainty in science and how companies can exploit it.
Dominique Olivier
The unbeatable Bertha Benz
Long before racing circuits, luxury sedans, and million-dollar dealerships, there was one woman who quietly steered the Mercedes-Benz brand into the world’s imagination. Her name was Bertha Benz, and she was the first person to attempt a long-distance drive in a motorcar. Dominique Olivier tells the story of this extraordinary woman.
Dominique Olivier
How Sony fumbled the bag with Kpop Demon Hunters – and Netflix picked it up
Sony Pictures went into the summer of 2025 hungry for a blockbuster. What it got instead was a bruising reminder that timing, contracts, and a little bit of bad luck can rewrite the rules of Hollywood. This is the story of megahit KPop Demon Hunters and a tale of how different risk cultures at Sony and Netflix led to this outcome.
Dominique Olivier
Everybody loves a good brand rivalry
Whether the medium is sport, politics, or pop culture, one thing is for sure: human beings gravitate towards conflict. Brands know this, and that’s why, every so often, they take off their gloves and enter the ring. American Eagle vs. Gap gave Dominique Olivier the perfect opportunity to dig into historical brand rivalries.
Dominique Olivier
How a boardwalk sideshow changed modern medicine
Coney Island had its peep shows, its freak shows, its barkers and rides. And tucked between them was an exhibit of premature infants in glass boxes, tended by trained nurses. This wasn’t entertainment - it was the beginning of modern neonatal care, smuggled in as a carnival act.
Dominique Olivier
The next space race is all in our heads
The next frontier isn’t space or AI - it’s the human brain. And it looks like we’re strapping in chips before we’ve even read the user manual. It's Musk vs. Altman in the fight for our minds, as explained by Dominique Olivier.
Dominique Olivier
A lesson in legacy (and courage) from Jo van Gogh
You don’t need to be an art buff to recognise Starry Night, or to know that Vincent van Gogh once famously chopped off part of his ear. More than a century later, van Gogh is a global household name, with his signature style instantly recognisable even to those who’ve never set foot in a gallery. And we have one woman to thank for that. Dominique Olivier tells a story of immense courage and belief through tragedy.
