KFC has launched its own original game show, "Don't Crack," offering 30 fans the chance to compete for a $67,000 grand prize and the title of The Ultimate Believer. Mother created the show, which builds on three years of the brand's "Believe in Chicken" platform.

The format turns brand loyalty into a contest. Thirty of the chain's most devoted fans face off in challenges, with the winner claiming both the cash and the designation KFC has reserved for its most ardent champions.

"Don Crack" — formally titled "Don't Crack" — is the latest extension of "Believe in Chicken," a platform KFC has run for three years and which the company describes as celebrated. The game show marks a shift from traditional campaign spots into owned entertainment content.

The KFC work headlines this week's Ads of the Week selection, which features a roster of recognizable names. Zendaya plays an action hero in a new campaign for the Swiss footwear brand On. Megan Fox personifies Ro Sparks in another spot. Reebok enlisted Off Campus actor Belmont Cameli, who performs choreography in the brand's latest film.

Chili's took a different route to cultural relevance: the casual dining chain released a suburbs-inspired apparel collection. The Washington Post, meanwhile, ran work that highlights the people behind its headlines, positioning the journalism brand around the humans who produce its reporting.

Ad Age also named its Most Effective Ad of the Week, produced in partnership with EDO, the audience measurement firm. The selected spot is positioned as one last summer celebration, though the full details sit behind the outlet's subscription paywall.

The broader weekly roundup reflects several currents running through brand marketing. Celebrity star power remains a reliable lever: Zendaya, Fox and Cameli each anchor major campaigns this week. Owned entertainment formats, like KFC's game show, show brands moving beyond 30-second spots toward longer-form properties they control outright. Merchandise extensions, as with Chili's, continue to blur the line between advertising and retail.

KFC's investment stands out for its scale. A $67,000 prize pool attached to a branded game show signals a commitment beyond a one-off stunt, and the three-year runway of "Believe in Chicken" gives the format an established creative foundation. For a brand that has leaned heavily on its core product identity, the move into game show territory tests whether fan devotion can sustain an entertainment franchise.

The coming weeks will show whether "Don't Crack" earns renewal attention or remains a single-season experiment — and whether other QSR brands follow KFC's lead from campaign platforms into owned programming.