Mattel’s “Wicked” Dolls Mistake Gives Adult Site a 12-Year Traffic High

The big “oops” redirects toy buyers to an adult site, sparking outrage, laughter, and record-breaking clicks.

Toy giant Mattel has found itself in a sticky situation after an embarrassing misprint on the packaging of its brand-new “Wicked” movie dolls. Instead of leading fans to the film’s official website, the web address on the box directs curious visitors to an adult site called wicked.com.

The misprint has sparked both outrage and amusement, leaving fans scratching their heads about how such a blunder could happen. In a statement to TODAY.com, Mattel acknowledged the mistake, calling it a “regrettable oversight” and confirming they’re working quickly to fix it:

“We deeply regret this unfortunate error and are taking immediate action to remedy this.” 

Oops, Wrong Wicked!

Mattel’s “Wicked” dolls were designed to promote the highly anticipated musical film starring Ariana Grande as Glinda and Cynthia Erivo as Elphaba. The collection was meant to let fans bring home a piece of the magical world, but the packaging included an unexpected twist: the URL printed was wicked.com, not wickedmovie.com. Shoppers expecting a behind-the-scenes glimpse of the movie instead found themselves face-to-face with a very different kind of “Wicked”—an adult film site. 

In response to the controversy, major retailers like Target, Walmart, Amazon, Best Buy, Barnes & Noble, and Macy’s swiftly removed the Wicked doll line from their online storefronts by midday Monday. Other stores, such as Kohl’s and DSW, were still selling the dolls, but some were actively addressing the listings throughout the day.

The dolls, featuring characters like Grande’s Glinda and Erivo’s Elphaba, originally retailed for $24.99 to $39.99. Now, thanks to the infamous error, they’re fetching jaw-dropping prices on eBay—some listings have hit $800. Fans and collectors are scrambling to grab a piece of this bizarre moment in pop culture history. Mattel has yet to explain how the misprint happened, but insiders suspect a simple typo or confusion during the design process:

“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.”

The Site That Made Headlines

For those unfamiliar, Wicked.com is the official website of Wicked Pictures, an American independent pornographic movie studio known for its high-quality productions and notable contract performers. Known for its former condom-only policy, the company has built a reputation in the adult industry. The studio has received numerous awards over the years, including several AVN Awards for Best Video Feature and Best Film.

According to Google Trends, searches for “Wicked.com” have skyrocketed, reaching their highest levels since mid-2012. The domain has been around since 1994, but thanks to Mattel’s error, it’s now part of one of the year’s strangest internet phenomena. 

The surge in traffic isn’t just limited to curious Googlers. Adult content fans and those unfamiliar with Wicked Pictures are flocking to the site, creating a bizarre overlap between family-friendly toy buyers and adult entertainment enthusiasts. 

A Lesson in Double-Checking

While the mistake was unintentional, the result has been a whirlwind of attention for both Mattel This unprecedented error has left many scratching their heads—and many more laughing at the absurdity of it all. The surge in online searches highlights how even small mistakes can have massive unintended consequences in today’s hyper-connected world. Mattel has assured customers that it is working to correct the error and ensure future packaging directs consumers to the intended website. But for now, this doll-sized mistake serves as a reminder: always triple-check your URLs.

And for those who stuck with us to the end, here’s your takeaway—whether you’re a toy company or just sharing a link, a little proofreading goes a long way.