Why Mattel is sued for $5M over 'Wicked' dolls' packaging
What's the story
Mattel, the iconic toy maker, is being sued over a packaging error on its special-edition Wicked dolls. The packaging erroneously featured a URL that directed to an adult website instead of the intended promotional site for Universal Pictures's film Wicked. A South Carolina resident has filed a class action lawsuit after her daughter accidentally accessed the inappropriate content.
Damages sought
Lawsuit seeks damages exceeding $5 million
The lawsuit, filed in a federal court in California, claims the plaintiff and her child were emotionally distressed by the incident. The plaintiff's daughter accessed the explicit content on "wicked.com" through an iPhone. Seeking class certification and unspecified damages over $5 million, the complaint argues that had the plaintiff known about this defect, she wouldn't have bought the product.
Company response
Mattel pulled dolls from retailers, issued statement earlier
Once this error had come to light, Mattel pulled the Wicked dolls from retailers such as Target, Amazon, and Kohl's. The company admitted the mistake in a statement and recommended consumers to either throw away or cover the incorrect link on current packaging. Mattel also said that corrected versions of the dolls are now available for purchase.
Box office success
'Wicked' film performance unaffected by controversy
Despite the controversy, Universal Pictures's Wicked has been a box office success. The film has grossed $263 million in the US and $360 million globally. Universal's chief marketing officer was confident that this incident would not affect ticket sales. Universal Pictures has not commented on the lawsuit involving Mattel's dolls.