SAN FRANCISCO: Twitter’s owner, Elon Musk, hinted late on Saturday night about a potential rebranding of the social media giant’s logo, suggesting that the famous blue cartoon bird imagery could soon be replaced.
In a tweet, Musk alluded to an upcoming change, sharing a design featuring an edgier logo based on an “everything app” called only “X,” which he has previously mentioned.
Not sure what subtle clues gave it way, but I like the letter X pic.twitter.com/nwB2tEfLr8
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) July 23, 2023
The tweet from the billionaire entrepreneur and SpaceX boss read, “Soon we shall bid adieu to the Twitter brand and, gradually, all the birds,” suggesting a departure from the bird-themed imagery associated with the platform, including the word “tweet” itself. The post was accompanied by an image of the Twitter bird set against a black and white marbled background.
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) July 23, 2023
Elaborating on the new logo concept, Musk replied to the post, stating that the X logo is meant to “embody the imperfections in us all that make us unique.” The idea of X as an “everything app” has been a recurring theme in Musk’s discussions about the platform’s future.
Twitter, founded in 2006, has long used avian branding as a play on the sound of birds chattering. The company originally acquired a light blue bird stock symbol for $15, as mentioned on the design website Creative Bloq.
Elon Musk’s Takeover of Twitter
Elon Musk’s takeover of Twitter last year was seen as a stepping stone towards the development of X, a reference to X.com, a company he founded in 1999, which later became PayPal. The proposed X app aims to combine social media, messaging, and mobile payments, presenting a potential competitor in the market.
As part of the rebranding process, Musk has already named Twitter’s parent company the X Corporation. He expressed a desire for a new emblem that exudes an “Art Deco” style and mentioned that under the site’s new identity, a post would be referred to as “an X.”
Twitter has faced challenges and criticism since Musk’s acquisition, with technical failures and changes in content moderation leading to user and advertiser dissatisfaction. Furthermore, the introduction of charges for previously free services and the return of banned right-wing accounts have added to the platform’s woes.
According to Musk, Twitter has experienced a substantial decline in advertising revenue since he took control in October. With competitors like Meta’s new text-based platform, Threads, entering the market, Twitter may be seeking to revitalize its image and attract more users. However, Sensor Tower data indicates that Threads’ user engagement has decreased significantly in the weeks following its launch.
