Toy giant Mattel has been scrambling to right their wrong this week after accidentally printing the wrong website on the packaging of its Wicked dolls.
The American toy company, which has been manufacturing toys since its establishment in 1945, was likely anticipating a great week after releasing a range of dolls inspired by the characters of Jon M. Chu's film adaption of the hit musical Wicked, but things quickly took a turn for the worse.
Soon after children got their hands on the dolls, which featured Ariana Grande's character, Glinda and Cynthia Erivo's character Elphaba, pictures of the packaging went viral as parents allowed their children to visit the website listed on the doll packaging, thinking it would take them to a safe website, only to realise it was a porn site.
Mattel quickly issued a statement to the public, sharing their "deep regret" as they told parents and children: "Mattel was made aware of a misprint on the packaging of the Mattel Wicked collection dolls, primarily sold in the US, which was intended to direct consumers to the official WickedMovie.com landing page. We deeply regret this unfortunate error and are taking immediate action to remedy this."
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@just2goodYT/X)Image:
@just2goodYT/X)They further advised parents that the misprinted website, which was www.wicked.com instead of www.wickedmovie.com, is unsuitable for children and suggested that those who have already purchased the product should discard the packaging or cover the link.
Now, it's been revealed exactly what damage control the company has been conducting in light of the embarrassing blunder, with Radar Online reporting that dolls with packaging directing shoppers to the 18+ website have been removed from store shelves.
According to reports, the stores which stocked the dolls with the offensive link of the packaging were primarily sold in the US and Australia, including Target and Khols and the online shopping giant Amazon. Australian retailer, Kmart also stocked the merchandise for $49 per doll, however it is unclear whether the product also included the wrong link or if they escaped the faux pas.
In addition to pulling the dolls off shelves, Mattel has also ceased sales on their website, with the link, instead taking shoppers to a landing page which reads: "Wicked Fashion Dolls, collection unavailable - we will be back soon. This product collection is temporarily unavailable. We appreciate your patience."
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Universal Pictures)Wicked is one of the most highly anticipated films to be released this year and is set to hit the big screens on November 22, with the second part slated for release in November 2025, reports Wales Online.
As well as Ariana and Cynthia, the film, which is based on the iconic Broadway musical, stars Michelle Yeoh, Jonathan Bailey and Jeff Goldblum and follows Elphaba as she attends university and becomes unlikely friends with Galinda - who later becomes Glinda the Good.
After meeting the Wizard of Oz, the pair come to a crossroads, and their lives start taking very different routes. Fans can expect the first film to cover the story right up until the stage show's intermission, which occurs after the signature song, Defying Gravity.
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