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Strategy Last Updated: November 12, 2024

Adult Website Address Accidentally Printed on Packaging for ‘Wicked’ Dolls

The mess-up from Mattel is another sharp reminder for print and promo products pros that proofing before printing/producing is massively important.

By  Christopher Ruvo

Key Takeaways

• Yikes! Mattel misprinted a pornographic website URL on Wicked movie doll packaging.

• Pulled From Shelves: The error led to a costly recall and social media backlash.

• Secondhand Sales: Dolls with the misprinted packaging are becoming cult collector’s items.

It was an altogether different kind of wicked, and that’s got Mattel in hot water.

In the latest edition of “proofreading and quality control is super-important”: Mattel accidentally printed the address of a pornographic website – wicked.com – on packaging for dolls being sold at retail as part of the merchandising for the forthcoming film Wicked. The correct web address for the film was WickedMovie.com.

Oops.

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Social media was quick to whip up a firestorm on the unfortunate misprint, which sparked ire among some parents because the dolls – depictions of the lead witch characters played by Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande in the film – are expressly being marketed to children to hype a family movie.

Mattel reportedly acted quickly and was pulling the collection from shelves at retail stores. It figures to be a costly recall given the level of merchandising surrounding a film that’s expected to be a global smash hit.

Mattel apologized and urged consumers who already purchased the dolls to discard the product packaging, obscure the link and/or contact Mattel customer service for more information.

This is a shame because clearly the packaging was meant to be a part of the brand experience, but now Mattel is telling customers to throw it away, erasing any opportunity to add a little bit more brand visibility and interaction as intended -- at least until the next batch with presumably the correct URL is created.

“Parents are advised that the misprinted, incorrect website is not appropriate for children,” the American-headquartered multinational toy manufacturing and entertainment company said in a statement. “We deeply regret this unfortunate error and are taking immediate action to remedy this.”

While a disaster for Mattel, the dolls bearing the misprint on the packaging are already becoming a quirky cult collector’s item. To wit, resellers on online marketplaces like eBay were attempting to sell the dolls with the adult URLs at exorbitant sums. One seller, as of this writing, was asking for $150, touting the rare misprint.

Set in the land of Oz at a time that mostly precedes Dorothy’s famous visit in The Wizard of Oz, the Wicked film is an adaption of a hit musical, itself loosely based on a 1995 novel by Gregory Maguire. Grande plays Glinda, who goes on to become the Good Witch of the North, while Erivo plays Elphaba, who goes on to become the Wicked Witch of the West.

The takeaway for print and promotional products professionals is fairly obvious but bears repeating: It’s absolutely essential to have a multilayered proofing process that ensures all spellings and messaging on products produced for clients are correct. More than one set of eyes should be checking for accuracy. That greatly increases the chances that errors will be caught before they become embarrassing, brand-bruising imbroglios.