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“Hard To Believe That’s An Accident”: Toy Company’s Adult Website Address Blunder Goes Viral
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“Hard To Believe That’s An Accident”: Toy Company’s Adult Website Address Blunder Goes Viral

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Children’s Wicked-themed dolls of Elphaba and Glinda have been put for sale with URLs linking to an NSFW website printed at the back of their boxes. Mattel, the company behind the production of the naughty print, has since said the packaging had been “misprinted” and advised parents to “discard” the packaging.

Mattel has been selling dolls of characters from the movie Wicked based on the Broadway musical –  mainly selling action figures of the two main witches, Elphaba (Cynthia Erivo) and Glinda (Ariana Grande), TMZ reported on Monday (November 11).

Highlights
  • Mattel sells dolls with adult site links due to packaging error.
  • Parents advised to discard packaging with incorrect website link.
  • Mistake discovered after photos circulated online.
  • URL error on Wicked dolls linked to NSFW site was unintentional.
  • Consumers can contact Mattel for further information.

Over the weekend, photographs of the unfortunate mistake have been circulating online, as a Redditor posted an example on Saturday (November 9).

It showed that on the back of the dolls’ packaging, a URL to the website “www.wicked.com” instead of “www.wickedmovie.com” had been printed out.

Children’s Wicked-themed dolls of Elphaba and Glinda have been put for sale with URLs linking to an NSFW website printed at the back of their boxes

Image credits: cynthiaerivo

Image credits: Wicked Movie

“I purchased the Singing Elphaba doll and upon inspection, the website printed on the back side Mattel box, right above the barcode is listed as WWW.WICKED.COM – which is actually an unaffiliated “adult” NSFW 18+ website,” Reddit’s original poster wrote. “Not sure if this is a mistake on Mattel’s part or Universal’s? Anyone else seeing this!?!?”

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Wicked.com directs to a page that requires users to be 18 years or older to enter, Variety reported on Sunday (November 10).

Moreover, a description of Wicked Pictures on its website reads: “Established in Canoga Park, California on March 1st, 1993, Wicked Pictures was formed with a firm commitment to producing quality parody p*rn movies, a decision the company has stayed true [to] since its beginning.”

Mattel, the company behind the production of the naughty print, has since said the packaging had been “misprinted” 

Image credits: Wicked Movie

Image credits: PopSpectator

The adult site also states that Wicked Pictures “continues to diversify and expand its commitment to quality cinematic content” through films like “Black Widow XXX” and “Captain Marvel XXX: An Axel Braun Parody.”

The awkward blunder sparked divided reactions as a Reddit user commented: “Omg that’s so bad.”

A person wrote: “Whole thing is crazy I can’t believe they would let this happen.”

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Mattel advised parents to “discard” the packaging

Image credits: PopSpectator

“Keep it, it might be worth something one day,” a Redditor added.

Someone else penned: “I’m ashamed that I know where that link leads….”

A commentator shared: “Wow. I was convinced this was an edit on the packaging or something – but you’re totally legit. 

“I just checked my Mattel boxes and they also have the same website – that’s crazy!”

Mattel has been selling dolls of characters from the movie Wicked based on the Broadway musical –  mainly selling action figures of the two main witches

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by MATTEL (@mattel)

A netizen admitted: “I’m going to the shops tomorrow to check them out. They might end up being collectors additions!”

A separate individual chimed in: “It’s like the person who was assigned in packaging tried to ask his coworker what the website of Wicked was and both of them had no idea so the coworker just said ‘It’s probably wicked.com’.”

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Mattel has since told Variety: “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.

Image credits: wickedmovie

“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.”

Back in July, Cynthia and Ariana had reacted to seeing the dolls based on their Wicked characters in a video posted to Instagram

Cynthia Erivo plays Elphaba and Ariana Grande plays Glinda 

Image credits: cynthiaerivo

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Cynthia captioned the post: “What a dream come true to be realized as Elphaba and Glinda in the form of Sweet Little dolls.

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“Little Cynthia and little Ari are pleased.”

Bored Panda has contacted Mattel for comment.

“This is accidental,” a reader commented

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Andréa Oldereide

Andréa Oldereide

Writer, BoredPanda staff

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I’m a journalist who works as Bored Panda’s News Team's Senior Writer. The news team produces stories focused on pop culture. Whenever I get the opportunity and the time, I investigate and produce my own exclusive stories, where I get to explore a wider range of topics. Some examples include: “Doberman Tobias the viral medical service dog” and “The lawyer who brought rare uterine cancer that affects 9/11 victims to light”. You've got a tip? email me: andrea.o@boredpanda.com

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Andréa Oldereide

Andréa Oldereide

Writer, BoredPanda staff

I’m a journalist who works as Bored Panda’s News Team's Senior Writer. The news team produces stories focused on pop culture. Whenever I get the opportunity and the time, I investigate and produce my own exclusive stories, where I get to explore a wider range of topics. Some examples include: “Doberman Tobias the viral medical service dog” and “The lawyer who brought rare uterine cancer that affects 9/11 victims to light”. You've got a tip? email me: andrea.o@boredpanda.com

Donata Leskauskaite

Donata Leskauskaite

Author, BoredPanda staff

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Hey there! I'm a Visual Editor in News team. My responsibility is to ensure that you can read the story not just through text, but also through photos. I get to work with a variety of topics ranging from celebrity drama to mind-blowing Nasa cosmic news. And let me tell you, that's what makes this job an absolute blast! Outside of work, you can find me sweating it out in dance classes or unleashing my creativity by drawing and creating digital paintings of different characters that lives in my head. I also love spending time outdoors and play board games with my friends.

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Donata Leskauskaite

Donata Leskauskaite

Author, BoredPanda staff

Hey there! I'm a Visual Editor in News team. My responsibility is to ensure that you can read the story not just through text, but also through photos. I get to work with a variety of topics ranging from celebrity drama to mind-blowing Nasa cosmic news. And let me tell you, that's what makes this job an absolute blast! Outside of work, you can find me sweating it out in dance classes or unleashing my creativity by drawing and creating digital paintings of different characters that lives in my head. I also love spending time outdoors and play board games with my friends.

What do you think ?
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Traveling Lady Railfan
Community Member
6 days ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

People will hear about the story and then go out and deliberately purchase these dolls, keeping them safe and holding on to them to be an eventual collector's item they think they're going to make big money on. Considering that the only oopsie here is a link to a website which is inappropriate for a child's toy but this link will not be active in 10, 15, 20, 30 years (when most collectors will think that it is economically feasible to try to resell the toy) so it'll mean nothing. Unless you find a newspaper printed article of the story print it out, and attach it to sell with the doll, that's the only way you can build any value from this oopsie.

martin734
Community Member
6 days ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Oops. I guess someone at Mattel will be looking for a new job soon. I bet wicked.com aren't complaining though. I wonder how many people visited the site out of curiosity after this cockup became known.

PFD
Community Member
6 days ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Three out of 11 replies implying this is deliberate. Well. What's there to say really.

Jonathan Labelle
Community Member
3 days ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

all i could think is this https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yJxCdh1Ps48

Java Addict
Community Member
4 days ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I work at Walmart. We pulled all the dolls off the shelves, not just the affected ones. They don't want to risk a lawsuit.

Ottoman
Community Member
5 days ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I tend to thick of Wicked Pictures as being on the classier side of porn, so there's that.

Bidango Smith
Community Member
5 days ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

It all just proves that there really is no such thing as bad publicity. Would anyone be talking about the movie without the "scandals" that seem to be filling the media?

CP
Community Member
5 days ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

People are getting upset over a trivial misprint. They make me laugh.

Edith
Community Member
5 days ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

This is what it looks very well organised FREE marketing campaign - a bit of drama, spice and ups.

toxxic
Community Member
6 days ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

People will absolutely pay a lot of money to have that misprinted packaging

Donkey boi
Community Member
5 days ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

This whole article and all the pics reference the movies and dolls... but nothing from the website stated??? Is this what one sided journalism looks like?

Traveling Lady Railfan
Community Member
6 days ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

People will hear about the story and then go out and deliberately purchase these dolls, keeping them safe and holding on to them to be an eventual collector's item they think they're going to make big money on. Considering that the only oopsie here is a link to a website which is inappropriate for a child's toy but this link will not be active in 10, 15, 20, 30 years (when most collectors will think that it is economically feasible to try to resell the toy) so it'll mean nothing. Unless you find a newspaper printed article of the story print it out, and attach it to sell with the doll, that's the only way you can build any value from this oopsie.

martin734
Community Member
6 days ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Oops. I guess someone at Mattel will be looking for a new job soon. I bet wicked.com aren't complaining though. I wonder how many people visited the site out of curiosity after this cockup became known.

PFD
Community Member
6 days ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Three out of 11 replies implying this is deliberate. Well. What's there to say really.

Jonathan Labelle
Community Member
3 days ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

all i could think is this https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yJxCdh1Ps48

Java Addict
Community Member
4 days ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I work at Walmart. We pulled all the dolls off the shelves, not just the affected ones. They don't want to risk a lawsuit.

Ottoman
Community Member
5 days ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I tend to thick of Wicked Pictures as being on the classier side of porn, so there's that.

Bidango Smith
Community Member
5 days ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

It all just proves that there really is no such thing as bad publicity. Would anyone be talking about the movie without the "scandals" that seem to be filling the media?

CP
Community Member
5 days ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

People are getting upset over a trivial misprint. They make me laugh.

Edith
Community Member
5 days ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

This is what it looks very well organised FREE marketing campaign - a bit of drama, spice and ups.

toxxic
Community Member
6 days ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

People will absolutely pay a lot of money to have that misprinted packaging

Donkey boi
Community Member
5 days ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

This whole article and all the pics reference the movies and dolls... but nothing from the website stated??? Is this what one sided journalism looks like?

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