A mishap by Mattel has led to an unexpected boost in traffic for the adult entertainment company Wicked Pictures after the toy manufacturer mistakenly printed the URL for a porn site on the packaging for dolls inspired by Universal Pictures’ Wicked movie.
The web address that appeared on the packaging, “wicked.com,” is actually owned by Wicked Pictures, a producer of adult films, rather than the official site for the Wicked movie.
Over the past two days, searches for “wicked.com” have reached their highest levels since mid-2012, driven largely by media coverage of Mattel’s mistake.
The special-edition Wicked dolls are available at major retailers such as Target, Amazon, and Kohl’s, where packaging directed consumers to the incorrect site.
Meanwhile, the legitimate website for the Universal Pictures film adaptation of the Tony-winning musical, starring Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande, is “wickedmovie.com.” This site has also seen a spike in searches, according to Google Trends.
Wicked Pictures, founded on March 1, 1993, in Canoga Park, California, focuses on producing parody adult films, including X-rated versions inspired by Marvel’s Black Widow and Captain Marvel.
The company showcases prominent adult film actresses such as Stormy Daniels, Jessica Drake, Julia Ann, Asa Akira, and Blake Blossom. Daniels, in particular, is known for her legal history with former president Donald Trump.
In a statement, Wicked Pictures commented, “We are aware of the situation involving Mattel and the use of the Wicked.com website URL on certain consumer goods packaging.
We have no involvement in this matter and encourage you to contact Mattel directly for any further information.”
Wicked.com, as per its privacy policy, is “owned and operated by Gamma Entertainment Inc., Gamma Billing Inc., and Digigamma B.V.” Gamma Entertainment referred any questions on the situation back to Wicked Pictures.
Mattel responded to the misprinted web address with a statement on Sunday, saying, “Mattel was made aware of a misprint on the packaging of the Mattel Wicked collection dolls, primarily sold in the U.S., which intended to direct consumers to the official WickedMovie.com landing page.
We deeply regret this unfortunate error and are taking immediate action to remedy this.”
Mattel also issued an advisory to parents, noting that the incorrect website is not suitable for children.
The company recommended that consumers who have purchased the product should discard or cover up the packaging containing the misprinted URL and contact Mattel Customer Service if they need further assistance.
