• by Gavin O'Malley  @mp_gavin, June 2, 2005

The creative firm Barefoot Advertising recently replaced Bridge Worldwide to run Procter & Gamble's product-plugging Home Made Simple Web site, the companies confirmed this week. The deal has been transpiring since February, people close to the situation said.

Bridge Worldwide launched Home Made Simple in the United States some five years ago; the site and newsletter provides tips and information for homemakers, trial offers, and direct sales of new P&G products before they are rolled out nationally.

Neither Procter & Gamble or Bridge Worldwide would discuss the rationale for the shakeup. "Both agencies remain strong partners for a long list of other projects," said a spokeswoman for Procter & Gamble. Bridge Worldwide, Barefoot Advertising, and Procter & Gamble all are based in Cincinnati.

Home Made Simple, an online relationship marketing program, has over 6 million opt-in subscribers to its e-mail newsletter in the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom, and mainly serves as a vehicle for P&G home-care-product brands.

Bridge continues to handle interactive work for several other P&G brands, including a Health Expressions online marketing program for health brands modeled on Home Made Simple. The list also includes several Olay products, Cheer and Charmin, Luvs, and Noxzema, as well as P&G.com and its BrandSaver newspaper coupon insert.

Even the Joy and Bounty brands, which are featured on the Home Made Simple site, will remain under Bridge's purview, according to Michael Graham, chief operating officer for Bridge Worldwide.

"We remain very close to our friends at P&G moving forward," Graham said.

Barefoot, meanwhile, will oversee Cascade, Dawn, Swiffer, Febreze, and Mr. Clean products on the site. Various other Barefoot accounts include Cingular Wireless, Head & Shoulders, and Mentos.

Prior to launching an interactive marketing initiative in January, Barefoot managed only print and direct-mail advertising.

Barefoot Advertising executives and spokespersons did not return repeated requests for comment regarding this story.