Elon Musk, the billionaire entrepreneur and CEO of Tesla and SpaceX, has unveiled a new “X” logo for Twitter. Intended to replace the iconic blue bird associated with the social media giant. This significant rebranding comes after Musk’s acquisition of Twitter for a staggering $44 billion last year. Signalling a clear departure from the platform’s 17-year history.
The introduction of the “X” logo began appearing at the top of Twitter desktop version on Monday. Indicating a shift towards Musk’s vision for the platform’s future. However, the original blue bird continued to dominate the smartphone app. At Twitter’s headquarters in San Francisco, employees were spotted removing the iconic bird and logo on Monday. However, their efforts were halted by the police, who intervened due to the lack of proper permits and failure to tape off the sidewalk to ensure pedestrian safety in case of falling objects.
Despite these initial challenges, the remnants of the “er” at the end of “Twitter” remained visible as of early afternoon.
The hasty and seemingly disorganized removal of both physical and virtual elements of Twitter’s past reflects the chaotic nature of Musk’s approach since taking ownership of the platform. This major rebranding signifies a significant shift in Twitter’s trajectory and has raised eyebrows among users and analysts alike.
Jasmine Enberg, an analyst with Insider Intelligence, emphasized that the recent changes clearly indicate the end of an era for Twitter as we know it. She stated, “The Twitter of the past 17 years is gone and not coming back. Musk has been vocal about transforming Twitter into platform X from the start, and Twitter was already a shell of its former self.”
However, these sweeping changes have not been without controversy, as they have alienated some users and caused concern among advertisers. This vulnerability leaves Twitter exposed to new threats, including Meta’s recently launched text-based app, Threads, which directly targets Twitter’s user base.
Elon Musk‘s ownership of Twitter has brought about significant upheavals in the platform’s operations, causing speculation about its future direction. As the “X” logo takes centre stage in the ongoing rebranding process. The social media landscape anticipates further developments and the potential impact on Twitter’s user experience and engagement.