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Pep was a brand ofwhole-wheatbreakfast cereal produced by theKellogg Company, and introduced in 1923, which became the first to be fortified with vitamins B and D in 1938.[1] Pep was a long-running rival toWheaties, and also the sponsor ofMutual Radio'sThe Adventures of Superman radio series.[2] One of Pep'sadvertising slogans was "theSunshine cereal".
Pep became one of the first "fortified" cereals, with an infusion ofvitamins, beginning in the 1930s. Extensiveadvertising, from print advertisements to sponsorship ofThe Adventures of Superman and the television and radio shows ofTom Corbett—Space Cadet helped keep the brand in the public's (particularly children's) consciousness. Pep was included in "variety packs" of serving-sized boxes of Kellogg's cereals. The cereal's "mildly laxative" property was routinely mentioned in print ads.[3] Pep faded from popularity as Kellogg's shifted advertising to other products. The cereal was still being sold alongside the company's similar Bran Flakes in Canadian markets until the early 1990s.[4]
In 1945, Kellogg inserted aprize in the form ofpinback buttons into each box of Pep cereal. Pep pins included U.S. Army squadrons as well as characters from newspaper comics. There were five series of comics characters, with 18 different buttons in each set. This would make 90 buttons in the complete set, but theSuperman button appeared in all five sets, because of the close association between Kellogg's Pep and theAdventures of Superman radio show. This makes a total of 86 unique comic buttons in the set.[5] Mint condition Pep pins, as with prizes from many cereal brands, have become sought-aftercollectables.
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