*Oop! Talk about a big boo-boo. Mattel has found itself at the center of a controversy following the launch of its “Wicked” dolls, based on the highly anticipated film adaptation of the Tony-winning musical starring Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande.
Amidst the excitement, an unfortunate misprint directing consumers to a pornographic website instead of the movie’s official page has sparked outrage and concern among parents and fans alike.
The dolls, produced in partnership with Universal Pictures, proudly feature characters Erivo portrays as Elphaba and Grande as Glinda. However, instead of linking to the film’s official site, WickedMovie.com, the packaging erroneously lists Wicked.com—a site that requires visitors to be 18 years or older to gain access.
This misstep has sparked an uproar, particularly considering the primary audience for these dolls typically consists of young children.
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According to Wicked Pictures’ website, which has unintentionally benefited from the error, the company has been producing adult films since its establishment in 1993, committed to quality parody pornography. The site includes titles that reveal its focus, such as “Black Widow XXX” and “Captain Marvel XXX: An Axel Braun Parody,” making it ill-suited for its accidental new audience of children and their parents.
In a statement to Variety, Mattel acknowledged the misprint and expressed regret over the incident, stating: “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.” The company is advising parents to discard or obscure the packaging due to its inappropriate content while offering customer service assistance for any further concerns.
Following the misprint that emerged online after the film’s Los Angeles premiere, social media users took to platforms like X (formerly Twitter) to express their shock and dismay. Comments ranged from disbelief over the marketing team’s oversight to calls for accountability from Mattel. One user pointedly remarked, “Hey @Mattel whoever is responsible for your marketing/packaging for the new official Wicked dolls have made a HUGE mistake,” while another critique highlighted the target audience of the dolls, emphasizing that “whoever did this needs to be fired immediately.”
Despite the marketing mishap, both Erivo and Grande had previously reacted positively to the dolls based on their characters, sharing their excitement on Instagram and declaring it a dream come true to see their roles represented through toys.
With the “Wicked” movie dolls available at major retailers such as Target, Amazon, and Kohl’s, Mattel’s miscommunication serves as a critical reminder of the importance of careful marketing, particularly when the targeted consumers are children.
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