Why X is Twitter’s New Logo?

ELON MUSK has made several impulsive changes to Twitter, and the latest rebranding of Twitter to the inscrutable “X” could be a whimsical and risky decision, or perhaps it is a work of genius, aligning Twitter with Musk’s other companies: SpaceX, Tesla Model X, xAI, and generating global interest.

Goodbye to the Blue Bird

In the last week of July 2023, Musk relaunched Twitter’s platform name as X, removing the iconic and beloved blue bird that has been symbolic of the platform since 2006. The new logo is currently under review, and Musk has stated that he may return to the previous logo if this move is not well-received.

Rebranding is a tricky business as changes are not always welcome, but recently many tech companies have decided to dramatically rebrand. Facebook rebranded its holding company to Meta in 2021, retaining the name Facebook for its social media platform.

Astute observers on social media have commented on Musk’s obsession with the letter X. In 1999, he named his payment company X, and then in 2002 he named his space travel company SpaceX, he even went as far as naming his son with the singer, Grimes, X Æ A-12. His latest change from Twitter to X follows an ongoing trend that is popular with Musk.

Musk’s Whirlwind Twitter History

Branding experts and sceptics have been quick to condemn Twitter’s sudden destruction of its iconic brand name, stating that brand transitions require time and management, but Musk has always been a disrupter, forging a new path in the world of technology. The change to X allows Musk to align Twitter with the rest of his businesses.

Musk’s history with Twitter has been a turbulent one, even for one of the richest men in the world, $44 billion is a hefty price to pay for a social media platform. He got cold feet in May, a month after announcing his intention to purchase the company and tried to kill the deal, accusing Twitter of having more bots than users.

This controversy led to a complicated legal process which exposed some embarrassing texts from Musk, forcing his hand to close the deal, and he became the owner of Twitter in October 2022. He then ordered huge lay-offs and ban reversals on the platform, which have caused significant controversy.

Why an X?

Microsoft and Meta have both tried to claim the brand name X in the past for their services and products. Any lawsuits over the brand X could be disputed in court but it could take years to reach a final resolution.

Tech pundits are intrigued by the new brand name, and rumours are flying that Musk is planning to launch an equivalent of China’s WeChat app: one app for everything, covering searches, shopping, mobile payments and messaging. It could possibly be related to Musk’s AI projects, or even as a distraction from something else. We cannot be too sure.

Some name changes have been successful, for example, Kentucky Fried Chicken officially changed its name to KFC, but it remains to be seen whether users will adopt this latest line of changes to the platform under Musk’s leadership and what Musk has up his sleeve for the future of Twitter.