Toy giant Mattel says it “deeply” regrets an error on the packaging of its Wicked movie-themed dolls, which mistakenly links toy buyers to a pornographic website.
The error gained attention on social media over the weekend, where numerous users shared photos of the URL printed on the back of the boxes for the special edition dolls, which feature characters from the movie adaptation of Wicked set to hit theatres later this month.
Instead of linking to Universal Pictures’ official WickedMovie.com page, the website listed leads to an adult film site that requires consumers to be over 18 to enter.
In a statement sent to The Associated Press, Mattel said it was “made aware of a misprint on the packaging of the Mattel Wicked collection dolls”, which it said are primarily sold in the US.
“We deeply regret this unfortunate error and are taking immediate action to remedy this,” the company added.
Mattel did not confirm whether this action included removing unsold products with the incorrect link from stores. But as of Monday (Nov 11) morning, at least some of these Wicked dolls appeared to be no longer available or not in stock on sites like Amazon, Target and Mattel’s.
In the meantime, the company is advising consumers who already have the dolls to discard their packaging or obscure the link – and contact Mattel’s customer service for more information.
