Mattel apologises after mistakenly printing porn site link on packaging

Mattel faced a major setback over the weekend when its Wicked movie merchandise caused a stir. A website listed on the packaging of the character dolls accidentally directed consumers to an adult pornographic site, turning the marketing effort into a nightmare. 

The toy company apologised on Sunday by giving a statement that read, "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."

"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 statement added.

The whole Mattel-manufactured doll collection, including singing figurines, fashion dolls, and deluxe collectible models were not available by Sunday afternoon for sale at Target, a major retail partner for the Universal movie.

Meanwhile, the Mattel line with the incorrect website address is being removed from shelves at other retailers, including Amazon.com, Walmart, Best Buy, Kohl's, DSW, Macy's, and more.

Wicked will be released in theatres on November 22 and can be a major box-office success. Directed by Jon M. Chu, the adaptation of the beloved Broadway musical features a star-studded cast, including Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo in leading roles.

The character dolls are being sold with the incorrect website address include Grande’s Glinda and Erivo’s Elphaba. These misprinted items have already appeared on eBay, listed for prices between 100 dollars and 800 dollars, even though the dolls originally retail for 24.99 dollars to 39.99 dollars.

The web address printed on the doll boxes is "wicked.com" rather than the correct "wickedmovie.com." When visiting the incorrect link, users are directed to a page requiring them to confirm they’re 18 or older. Upon entering, they land on a porn site promoting an upcoming film titled Kenzie Loves Girls 2, produced by a company named Wicked Pictures. The domain "wicked.com" has been owned by its current registrant since 1994.