Popular. These toys are too popular. They came with a link that’s bad, it made Mattel mad, so they pulled them so quickly. That’s not the kind of popular to be.
Ok, enough with the jokes. Mattel stepped in it again. They released a line of dolls ahead of the premiere of the Wicked adaptation but failed to check the packaging closely enough. Apparently, someone on the production line wasn’t careful about separating business from pleasure, as a link to a pornographic website was mass-printed on the boxes containing the wildly popular dolls.
Fans have been eagerly anticipating the big-screen release of the musical adaptation. It’s been a Broadway staple for 20 years now, with its two leading ladies becoming cultural icons. Mattel’s release of the doll line was meant to capture the joy of Wicked fans, especially as a whole new generation of musical theater lovers finds new ways to connect with the story. But we’re not so sure that’s what they caught here with this X-rated blunder.
Imagine the shock consumers felt when they eagerly scanned the QR codes on the boxes containing their new Elphaba or Glinda doll, only to be whisked away—not to doll-related or Wicked-themed content—but straight to porn-land. We’re not in Kansas anymore, Toto.
Mattel was quick to attempt damage control. They issued an apology and a recall, hoping to collect the affected toys before they spread too widely. They’ve also promised to increase quality control checks before releasing products to distributors in the future to prevent another naughty no-no. Does this mean they’ll need to hire someone just to check QR codes on each of the hundreds of toys they release every year? If so, you better hop on Indeed fast if you want dibs on that role with the toy company.
This little faux pas of Mattel’s is a reminder to big brands everywhere that they’re never too big to make a mistake. When launching any product—especially one as eagerly awaited as the Elphaba and Glinda dolls—checking every finishing detail is crucial. Otherwise, you might just end up accidentally catching someone finishing.
