(LOOTPRESS) – Mattel has recently found itself at the center of controversy after an unfortunate error on the packaging for its new line of “Wicked” dolls, inspired by the highly anticipated film adaptation of the beloved Broadway musical, Wicked. Instead of linking to the movie’s official website, WickedMovie.com, the packaging mistakenly directs consumers to an adult content website.
The mix-up came to light after fans noticed the misprint on the toy boxes, which include dolls modeled after Elphaba and Glinda, characters portrayed by Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande in the film. As the film had just premiered in Los Angeles, photos of the dolls’ packaging spread quickly online, drawing strong reactions from fans. Many expressed concern over the packaging error, particularly given the dolls’ target market includes young fans of the musical.
“Hey @Mattel, whoever is responsible for your marketing/packaging for the new official Wicked dolls has made a HUGE mistake,” one X (formerly Twitter) user wrote. Another fan added, “Whoever did this needs to be fired immediately cuz why would they do that knowing that it’s mostly kids buying these dolls.”
In response, Mattel issued a statement apologizing for the mistake, saying they had been “made aware of a misprint on the packaging of the Mattel Wicked collection dolls, primarily sold in the U.S.,” adding that it “intended to direct consumers to the official WickedMovie.com landing page.” The company further advised parents to either discard the packaging or obscure the link and offered to assist customers through their customer service line. They noted they were taking swift measures to prevent further distribution of the misprinted packaging.
Mattel’s “Wicked” dolls, released in partnership with Universal Pictures, are available through major retailers like Target, Amazon, and Kohl’s. Universal has yet to issue a statement regarding the misprint.
