Elon Musk, the renowned entrepreneur and owner of Twitter, has announced that the popular social network will shed its iconic identity and be rebranded as “X.”
The decision, which Musk revealed via a tweet, marks a significant shift for the platform he acquired in October 2022, relegating the beloved blue birdie logo to the archives of internet history.
“Soon we shall bid adieu to the Twitter brand and, gradually, all the birds,” Musk tweeted.
As part of the rebranding initiative, the platform’s website will now operate under the x.com domain name. Musk also initiated a poll, inviting users to vote on whether the default platform colour should be changed to black, with a significant 75% of votes in favour as of Sunday morning.
“If a good enough X logo is posted tonight, we’ll make [it] go live worldwide tomorrow,” Musk stated, emphasizing the community’s involvement in shaping the platform’s new identity.
In April 2023, the company officially disclosed the change of its corporate name from Twitter Inc. to X Corp., with its headquarters situated in San Francisco and incorporated in Nevada.
Twitter, which first took flight in 2006, has been recognized by its iconic bird mascot since 2008. The current design of the Twitter Bird Logo has been in use since 2012.
Following the $44 billion acquisition deal that granted Musk ownership of Twitter, he made bold leadership changes, including the dismissal of Twitter’s executive team and dismantling of its board.
Musk’s efforts to boost subscription revenue through Twitter Blue ($8/month) have seen some success, offering subscribers exclusive benefits such as the coveted “verified” blue-check mark, previously restricted to celebrities and notable accounts. The company has also begun sharing ad revenue with select creators, requiring eligibility through Twitter Blue subscription.