Serendipity led to me finding another brand-related story featuring Ronald Reagan today, so given the link with the previous story I thought I would share it now and perhaps write a fuller Wheaties story some other time 

The breakfast of the stars

Wheaties is known as The Breakfast of Champions but became The Breakfast of a Hollywood Stars in 1937

Wheaties began sponsoring baseball radio broadcasts in 1933 and a few years later it asked listeners to vote for their favourite announcer. 

The listeners voted Ronald “Dutch” Reagan as their favourite, which earned him a free trip to California for a screen test. 

The screen test went well and Reagan went on to become a Hollywood star

and as they say the rest is history (and ultimately good news for Jelly Belly)