Mattel, a toy company, has quickly fixed a major packaging error on its new “Wicked” movie collectible dolls. The dolls’ boxes showed a link to an adult website instead of the movie’s official website.
The mistake was found on Glinda and Elphaba dolls, which Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo will play in the new movie. The packaging should have sent people to “wickedmovie.com,” but instead, it said “wicked.com,” a website with adult material.
People first noticed the mistake over the weekend and quickly shared pictures of it on social media sites. Mattel quickly replied on Sunday by releasing a statement admitting the mistake in the packaging and outlining steps that would be taken right away to fix the problem.
“We deeply regret this unfortunate error and are taking immediate action to remedy this,” the firm said. “Parents are advised that the misprinted, incorrect website is inappropriate for children.”
Target, Kohl’s, and Amazon, among other big stores, have already removed the dolls from their shelves. By Sunday afternoon, Target had removed the items, and they are now marked as “currently unavailable” on Amazon’s U.S. website.
Mattel has advised people who have already bought the dolls. The company suggests throwing away the box or covering up the wrong web address. People who want more information are also told to call Mattel’s customer service.
The event happens at a sensitive time, just a few weeks before the worldwide release of the highly anticipated movie version of the famous musical “Wicked.” Mattel’s marketing team is having a hard time because of the mistake on the packaging. This shows how important it is to check products carefully, especially ones sold to kids.
This quality control oversight is a stark reminder of the risks associated with product packaging and the need for careful review before goods hit store shelves.
