Elon Musk announced that Twitter would replace its iconic blue bird logo with an 'X,' which has now been implemented on the site. The rebranding effort is part of Musk's plan to revamp the company. The new 'X' logo is featured on Twitter's official account and website, although remnants of the blue bird logo and Twitter name can still be found in certain places. Musk's personal account also adopted the 'X' logo. Twitter CEO Linda Yaccarino expressed her excitement about the change, tweeting, "X is here! Let's do this."
Musk suggested changing the default color of the brand from blue to black or white, sparking a discussion among users. He also hinted at bidding farewell to the Twitter brand and gradually phasing out all bird-related references.
The choice of the 'X' logo aligns with Musk's previous venture, X.com, a payment processing company, and the newly named parent company of Twitter, X Holdings. Notably, the URL X.com now redirects to the Twitter site. Musk envisions integrating Twitter into an "everything app" that encompasses communication and payment systems.
Musk's announcement came as a surprise to Twitter employees and users. Earlier on Sunday, the company's branding webpage emphasized the importance of their recognizable logo. However, Yaccarino later tweeted that "X is the future state of unlimited interactivity," encompassing AI-powered payments and the buying and selling of goods and services.
The decision has faced criticism from branding experts and former employees. Marketing entrepreneur Ben Parr expressed skepticism about destroying a universally recognized brand, while former head of product Esther Crawford likened it to corporate self-destruction.
This identity change follows other significant changes Musk has implemented since acquiring Twitter for $44 billion in October. These include reducing staff, relaxing rules against disinformation campaigns, and engaging with accounts previously suspended for hate speech. To incentivize users to pay for a premium experience, Musk has imposed limitations on the regular interface.
The Pew Research Center reported in May that a quarter of Twitter users did not expect to be using the platform within a year, diminishing its advertising value. A rebranding effort may facilitate the separation of users who are undecided about staying on the platform.
Some users, like science fiction author John Scalzi, have expressed their willingness to leave Twitter entirely and have reservations about embracing the new 'X' brand. Katie Hart, a consultant specializing in neuropsychology in marketing, believes that the previous bird logo benefited from the natural associations with birds and tweeting. She suggests that Musk's focus on functionality may detract from the softer associations that currently exist.
