Toy giant Mattel has issued a public apology for an accidental misprint on the packaging of their new Wicked film dolls, which mistakenly directs users to an adult website.
The error occurred in the promotion of Universal Pictures’ upcoming Wicked musical film, featuring characters based on stars Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo. The dolls, targeted at children, are meant to coincide with the movie’s premiere on November 22.
The misprint involved a URL on the toy’s packaging that simply featured the word “Wicked,” leading unsuspecting users to a pornography website instead of the intended “WickedMovie.com,” the film’s official webpage.
The packaging error quickly became a trending topic online, with images of the misprint circulating widely. A viral post on social media platform X by user @just2goodYT garnered more than 260,000 likes, highlighting the unintended impact and raising concerns among parents.
Mattel addressed the incident in a statement to the U.S. media, acknowledging the oversight and expressing their regret. “Mattel was made aware of a misprint on the packaging of the Mattel Wicked collection dolls, primarily sold in the U.S., which intended to direct consumers to the official WickedMovie.com landing page,” the company stated. “We deeply regret this unfortunate error and are taking immediate action to remedy this.”
In an effort to prevent further issues, Mattel has advised parents to either discard the incorrect packaging or obscure the misleading link.
