Elon Musk, the owner of Twitter, has announced his intention to replace the iconic Twitter bird logo with an “X”. However, Musk’s track record of making statements that don’t materialize or are not to be taken seriously raises skepticism about this potential change.
Musk has already rebranded the company as X Corp and expressed his desire to create a “super app” called “X”, similar to China’s WeChat. On Sunday, the SpaceX founder tweeted: “And soon we shall bid adieu to the Twitter brand and, gradually, all the birds.”
And soon we shall bid adieu to the twitter brand and, gradually, all the birds
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) July 23, 2023
Subsequently, Musk posted a flickering “X” on Twitter, hinting at the interim logo. He confirmed in a Twitter Spaces audio chat that the Twitter logo would indeed change, emphasizing that “it should have been done a long time ago.” Twitter’s chief executive, Linda Yaccarino, expressed excitement about the rebrand, believing it will further transform the global town square.
“Twitter made one massive impression and changed the way we communicate,” she said.
“Now, X will go further, transforming the global town square,” she added.
Currently, the Twitter bird, named Larry, pays tribute to basketball star Larry Bird. The potential shift towards a super-app model resembles successful apps like WeChat, PayTM, and GoJek, which have become integral parts of daily life for many users in Asia.
Meanwhile, the Twitter website refers to the bird logo as “our most recognisable asset”.
“That’s why we’re so protective of it,” says the website.
Since Musk acquired Twitter and renamed it X Corp in October 2022, there have been several changes and controversies, such as temporary logo replacements with Dogecoin’s Shiba Inu dog and the recent announcement of daily tweet limits, which led to the growth of Meta-owned rival Threads.
Furthermore, Twitter is facing a lawsuit that claims it owes at least $500 million in severance pay to former employees after laying off more than half its workforce.
While Musk’s intentions for the Twitter logo and rebranding may be ambitious, Twitter users remain curious about whether this change will indeed materialize, given Musk’s history of making bold statements.
