Mattel has apologised after accidentally directing consumers to a porn website in the packaging for its range of Wicked-inspired dolls.
In the lead-up to the much-hyped movie musical’s release, Mattel has unveiled a new line of dolls inspired by Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande’s characters.
However, over the weekend, some people spotted that the packaging for these toys erroneously advised people to visit a similarly-named porn website, rather than the film’s official page.
“We deeply regret this unfortunate error and are taking immediate action to remedy this,” the toy company said in a statement.
“Parents are advised that the misprinted, incorrect website is not appropriate for children.”
They added: “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.”
According to The Hollywood Reporter, the errant dolls have already been pulled from sale at Target, with Walmart, Macy’s, Kohl’s, Best Buy, DSW, Amazon.com “and other retailers” set to follow suit.
One X user pointed out the gaffe came just four months after Mattel announced it would be using AI technology to help design its packaging moving forward.
There’s now less than a fortnight to go until Wicked hits cinemas, with the film having already done tie-ins with a range of brands from Lego, Funko Pops and Fisher Price to Aldo, H&M and REM Beauty, the cosmetics brand founded by the movie’s star Ariana Grande.
Wicked will finally be released on Friday 22 November.