When part-time supervillain and the man experiencing the worst post-divorce, mid-life crisis of all time announced, on Twitter, that he would be rebranding the platform, reactions were mixed — between horror and hilarity. Overwhelmingly, the response was negative.
On Sunday night, Musk tweeted: “And soon, we shall bid adieu to the Twitter brand and, gradually, all the birds.” Less than half an hour later, he was brainstorming new names and logos. Within 24 hours, the company had started removing Twitter branding from its offices.
The social media company formerly known as Twitter will henceforth be known – by people who care what Elon Musk wants them to call his rapidly collapsing website – simply as the letter X.
The iconic white bird on a blue background has gone, to be replaced with an ‘art deco’ styling of an ‘X’, taken directly from the Unicode font for the letter. There will be no more tweets, there will be Xs. Retweets have become re-Xs. You can no longer be ‘following’ an account, you can be ‘X-ing’ it.
“Not sure what subtle clues gave it way, but I like the letter X,” Musk wrote in another tweet on Sunday night.
Virtually all of his business and personal dealings have capped X-related branding at some point. In 2000, he tried to rebrand his company PayPal as ‘X’, but was forced out by the board and replaced as CEO. His space-exploration company is called SpaceX and one of the most popular cars manufactured by his electric vehicle company is the Model X. He even named one of the ten children he has ‘X Æ A-12’.
Many are claiming that if Musk buying Twitter, for USD$44 billion not 12 months ago, was the beginning of the end for the social media platform, that this latest bizarre move is surely the halfway point.
On the site, users have rebelled against the name change. Here are the best handpicked organic reactions we’ve sourced.
Named after this dead bird's eye. https://t.co/0n9h6ThCIy pic.twitter.com/msr77PVWoN
— Mark Hamill (@MarkHamill) July 23, 2023
The X logo looks like it’s for one of those ridiculous fragile masculinity subscription box services that would send you like an axe, a bottle of hot sauce, small batch coffee, and some beard oil every month in 2019.
— Max Dubler 🏳️🌈 (@maxdubler) July 24, 2023
The dumbest thing about this is how every other social platform WISHES they created a unique and renowned verb like "Tweet" or "Retweet" – that kind of brand recognition is near impossible to replicate intentionally pic.twitter.com/zSeAFEHlgV
— Del Walker (@TheCartelDel) July 23, 2023
i’m sorry i can’t think of a joke funnier than twitter failing to get the necessary permits to change their building signage and the police shutting it down just in time for “er” to remain pic.twitter.com/2tzrBNK97K
— parker lyons (@tweetsbyparker) July 24, 2023
Hello @elonmusk i heard you're going to rebrand Twitter but as you can see i have the same logo for like 2 yrs now. Can you please reconsider your decision else it would be a pain for me to change stuff. Please try to understand and reply me as soon as possible.
— Kxlider Music Artist (@kxlider) July 24, 2023
The letter X will be holding a press conference later today. #TwitterX pic.twitter.com/qXKNYLTqLe
— Sesame Street (@sesamestreet) July 24, 2023
Does anyone else feel like @Twitter's bio line: "What's happening?!" now just feels absolutely foreboding? Like a robot in distress… #TwitterX #RIPTwitter pic.twitter.com/KgqZyLDLNO
— Steph (@StephLoffredo) July 24, 2023
So, just checking, Mr Genius has decided that the logo for Twitter should look like the thing you would click on to close it?
— Emma Hart (@Ghetsuhm) July 24, 2023
The domain for the new #TwitterX (X dot com) was purchased LITERALLY TODAY and it's hosted with f*cking GoDaddy this site is a circus, it's an entire Circus I can't
This isn't a rebrand it's boredom, he's bored cos he's rich and his kids hate him pic.twitter.com/cqGFAnNIOK
— Scout (is not here) (@ChaoticScoot) July 24, 2023
Do what?
Join the dickheads putting out a canva logo that looks like you copied it off a can of teenage boy's deodorant from the $2 shop?#theXfuctor https://t.co/WHdAdMI1yL
— RonniSalt (@RonniSalt) July 24, 2023
Welcome to X#TwitterX pic.twitter.com/OubNoC9MHe
— David Leavitt 🎲🎮🧙♂️🌈 (@David_Leavitt) July 24, 2023
Related: Elon Musk Is Actually Stepping Down As Twitter’s CEO — Meet His Top Replacement
Related: As Elon Musk Logs on as the New Boss of Twitter, Thousands Are Logging Off For Good
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