Porn link on doll boxes
Barbie manufacturer Mattel makes embarrassing mistake
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Just in time for the upcoming theatrical release of the musical film “Wicked”, the associated merchandise will of course also come onto the market – for example dolls of the characters from the film. Manufacturer Mattel is making a pretty big mistake.
The “Broadway” musical “Wicked – The Witches of Oz” has been around for over 20 years. It's high time for a cinema adaptation. On December 12th the time has actually come. Then the first of two parts of the film simply titled “Wicked” hits the screen in Germany.
“Wicked” means something like “evil” in German. Toy manufacturer Mattel, whose best-known product is of course Barbie, probably didn't think anything bad when it brought dolls of the characters from the film onto the market just in time for the upcoming cinema release. Nevertheless, the company made an embarrassing mistake that was likely to cause both amusement and angry reactions.
Mattel printed a link on the packaging of the dolls of characters such as Glinda or Elphaba, which was supposed to lead to the film's website on the Internet: wicked.com. In fact, you can only get to the corresponding portal at wickedmovie.com. However, behind the other Internet address there is, of all things, a paid porn site.
“Not suitable for children”
Over the weekend, several people noticed the error and photos of the boxes with the incorrect printing made the rounds online. Mattel soon got wind of this too. The company released a statement on Sunday. Mattel was made aware of the misprint and took action “immediately” to stop the sales of the dolls, which primarily took place in the USA.
“We deeply regret this unfortunate error,” Mattel said in a statement. And further: “Parents are advised that the misprinted, incorrect website is not suitable for children. Consumers who already own the product are advised to discard the packaging or obscure the link. You can also use the Mattel Contact customer service for more information.”
As “The Guardian” reports, the dolls are said to have disappeared from the shelves of various retailers in the USA on Monday. They were also no longer available on Amazon. It cannot be ruled out that the copies that have already been sold will now become even more sought-after collector's items.
