The wizard will see you now. But not at Wicked.com.
Toy company Mattel learned the hard way that merch vetting is everything, especially weblinks on the packaging.
Known for its valuable brands like Barbie and Hot Wheels, Mattel apologized after the original packaging for dolls representing characters from the upcoming movie adaptation of the 2003 Broadway musical Wicked included a link to an adult entertainment web address.
In an official statement to the Huffington Post, Mattel wrote:
“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 original packaging for the Wicked dolls included the naughty URL, indicated as www.wicked.com, without the word "movie" attached.
Curious consumers who visited the erroneous link and verified they were over 18 saw thumbnail images of "award-winning" adult content titles and an announcement for an upcoming exclusive movie, Kenzie Loves Girls 2…according to many reports.
Photos of the NSFW promotional snafu went viral on X (formerly Twitter), including ones shared by YouTuber Sarah Genao.
Here's a photo of the product featuring Ariana Grande's Glinda.
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And here is the back of the packaging with the erroneous link, seen above the bar code.
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When someone asked if this was real, the user shared video proof.
In the follow-up clip, the user held up the box for Mattel's doll of Elphaba's paraplegic younger sister, Nessarose Thropp, turned it around, and showed viewers the wrong URL on the box.
The Internet had plenty to say in response to the bungled Mattel and Universal Pictures collab.
Was it an unintended masterstroke?
Mattel continued:
“We deeply regret this unfortunate error and are taking immediate action to remedy this."
" Parents are advised that the misprinted, incorrect website is not appropriate for children."
"Consumers who already have the product are advised to discard the product packaging or obscure the link and may contact Mattel Customer Service for further information.”
The dolls of Grande as Glinda and Cynthia Erivo as Elphaba were created in conjunction with Universal Pictures.
While the products with the X-rated link on the boxes originally retailed between $24.99 and $39.99, they were reportedly going for upwards of $80 to $100 on eBay, according to the Hollywood Reporter.
The entertainment outlet also noted that the domain name for Wicked.com has been registered to its owner since 1994, a year before the Wicked novel, on which the Broadway musical was loosely based, was published.
Meanwhile, the toys with the wrong web address on the boxes are being pulled from various retailers including Walmart, Macy’s, Kohl’s, Best Buy, DSW, and Amazon.com.
Wicked, the movie, will be released in theaters on November 22, and is expected to make a huge splash all over the box office.
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