Mattel said it is “taking immediate action” after social media users noticed a glaring mistake on the packaging for the company’s new line of “Wicked” dolls.
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Mattel is "taking immediate action" after social media users noticed a glaring mistake on the packaging for the company's new line of “Wicked” dolls.
The toy company is currently selling a range of “Wicked” dolls tied to the upcoming musical film starring Ariana Grande, Cynthia Erivo and Jonathan Bailey. The special dolls are based on beloved characters, like Grande’s Glinda, and the back of the packaging encourages consumers to visit the film’s website to learn more.
But, a labeling error on the packaging directs fans to an adult film website instead of the official “Wicked” movie link, www.wickedmovie.com.
The mistake was pointed out by multiple social media users. X user Sarah Genao tweeted a picture of the Glinda doll Nov. 9 and included a photo of the incorrect link to the pornography site on the back of the box. The post went viral, receiving over 21 million views.
TODAY.com confirmed at a Target in Connecticut that the “Wicked” dolls sold there were mislabeled.
TODAY.com has reached out to Target for comment but did not hear back by the time of publication.
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In a statement to TODAY.com, Mattel confirmed the mislabeling. The toy company said it “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,” Mattel said.
The company also included a message to parents who have already purchased the item.
“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," Mattel said in the statement.
In addition to Target, the dolls are also available for purchase at other major retailers, such as Amazon, Kohl’s and Walmart.
The packaging issue surfaced less than two weeks before the highly-anticipated film hits theaters on Nov. 22.
Grande, Erivo, Bailey and more stars from the movie, including Michelle Yeoh, Ethan Slater and Jeff Goldblum, recently attended the Nov. 9 “Wicked” premiere in Los Angeles. Director Jon M. Chu missed the premiere to be by his wife’s side as they welcomed a baby girl, their fifth child.
Universal Pictures is owned by NBCUniversal, TODAY.com’s parent company.
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