Twitter’s Identity Crisis: The Unexpected Rebranding to ‘X’
Twitter, the globally recognized social media platform, has significantly rebranded. The platform, known for its iconic blue bird logo and the term “tweet,” has been rebranded as ‘X’ by Elon Musk, who has been contemplating a use for his X.com domain name for years.
The decision to rebrand Twitter as X appears to have been swift, with Musk crowdsourcing a new logo design from his followers. “And soon we shall bid adieu to the Twitter brand and, gradually, all the birds,” Musk tweeted before settling on a new design. The new logo for X is a simple 𝕏, a Unicode character representing a “mathematical double-struck capital X.”
In the early hours of Monday, Twitter’s infamous blue bird logo was replaced with the 𝕏 across the website, and all official account avatars were switched to the new “X” logo. However, the rebranding process seems to be in flux, causing user confusion. While the platform’s logos have been replaced with the 𝕏 icon, the copy still invites visitors to “Join Twitter today.”
Furthermore, the X.com domain name, a crucial part of the rebranding, is not fully functional. Musk announced the redirect on Sunday, intending for X.com to forward users directly to Twitter.com. However, due to what appears to be a last-minute decision, the DNS update is not propagating for many users, leading some to a GoDaddy domain name parking page when they visit X.com.
Interestingly, some platform aspects have been left untouched in the rebranding. Twitter Blue, the platform’s premium subscription service, retains its original name. The platform’s terms of service and privacy policy continue to reference Twitter and use the bird logo. Twitter Business and its Twitter Advertising service, the platform’s significant revenue drivers, also remain unchanged.
Despite the confusion, there are areas where the rebranding is evident. The Twitter bird favicon seen in the URL input on web browsers has been replaced with the 𝕏. The Twitter sign from its San Francisco building headquarters is being taken down. Inside the building, employees are greeted with the new “X” logo projected in the cafeteria and renamed conference rooms with X-themed names.
The rebranding of Twitter to X has left the platform in a state of identity crisis. As the changes continue to roll out, users and observers alike wonder about the future of the platform formerly known as Twitter.
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