By Cliff Peale
The Cincinnati Enquirer

Isabel Walth of Portland, Ore., the first new Ivory Baby in nearly three decades. (Procter & Gamble photo)

Poetrie Bedgood of College Hill, only 13 months old, was close to becoming the new Ivory Baby.

But Bedgood and four others had to settle for second place.

Procter & Gamble Co. on Tuesday named 10-month-old Isabel Walth of Portland, Ore., as its first Ivory Baby in nearly three decades. Isabel will star in advertisements for the new Ivory Moisturizing Body Wash and join past Ivory babies including TV actress Brooke Shields.

"It was our first trip to New York and our first trip ... as a family," Kristie Bedgood, Poetrie's mother, said after the ceremony Tuesday.

The first Ivory baby appeared in store displays in 1887, but P&G ended the campaign in the late 1970s.

The body wash is a new product for Ivory, which has been a bar soap for most of its 124-year history

"We thought that a great way to bring back the next generation of Ivory products was to bring back the Ivory baby," said Ted Keegan, marketing director for Ivory.

Poetrie and the other runners-up will receive $10,000 college scholarships.

E-mail cpeale@enquirer.com