Social media shreds Elon Musk over Twitter rebrand: ‘Hasn’t gotten over his X’

Elon Musk received blasted on social media over his controversial choice to ditch Twitter’s iconic blue fowl branding — which has turn into globally recognizable over the previous 17 years — in favor of a generic-looking “X” brand.

The Twitter rebrand befell a matter of hours on Sunday, with Musk saying that “X.com” would redirect to “Twitter.com” and debuting an interim “X” brand. The black-and-white X brand was shortly projected onto the outside of the corporate’s San Francisco-based headquarters.

“Elon Musk hasn’t gotten over his X,” Irish YouTuber Jacksepticeye stated.

“Call it “Twitter X”, that’s cleaner,” joked the account @HighYieldHarry alongside a shot from the scene within the 2010 movie “The Social Network,” the place actor Justin Timberlake’s fictionalized model of Sean Parker tells Mark Zuckerberg rename his website “Facebook.”

“They’re altering the Twitter brand to an “X”. Literally the icon I click on on after I need to shut one thing on my laptop,” comedian e-book author Dan Slott stated.

“People nonetheless name our streaming service 4OD so good luck,” British broadcasting community Channel 4 wrote, referring to a reputation it deserted in 2015.

“To be truthful if I’d executed this a lot harm to a model in below 12 months I’d additionally in all probability change the title and brand. But I’d additionally change MY title and face and stroll into the ocean,” wrote comic Mark Watson.

“It’s a free nation. He’s free to alter the title to X. And I’m free to maintain calling it Twitter,” quipped former GOP congressman Joe Walsh.

Others had been extra pointed of their criticism of Musk’s choice. Gary Black, the Future Fund co-founder and a famous Tesla bull, overtly questioned the logic behind the transfer.

“I’m fighting rebranding Twitter to X and shedding the little blue fowl’s model fairness,” Black stated, including that “advertisers who dislike change might wait to see how the branding change impacts promoting efficacy.”

“I actually don’t perceive this “X” enterprise. @elonmusk is a ahead thinker, and possibly has a grand plan, however this one is de facto arduous to see,” added Albert Bridge Capital founder Drew Dickson. “Feels like dumping years of brand name worth in a single swoop.”

The “X” rebrand was the newest in a sequence of controversial strikes by Musk, who’s making an attempt to lure again advertisers that fled the platform over its free content material moderation practices and to reverse a significant lack of income that has occurred since he acquired the corporate.

“X” can also be going through its most vital problem thus far from Meta-owned Threads, a text-based social media app that has already garnered tens of tens of millions of consumer signups since its debut earlier this month.

While the rebrand appeared to catch many customers off guard, Musk had telegraphed a looming change for months.

Before buying Twitter for $44 billion final yr, the billionaire argued the platform would function an “accelerant to creating X, the every thing app.” Musk additionally modified Twitter’s company title to “X Corp” earlier this yr.

Musk is a vocal proponent of the idea of a “tremendous app” akin to China’s WeChat, which presents providers starting from funds to meals supply and ride-sharing.

Twitter CEO Linda Yaccarino stated the shift to “X” was the subsequent step in “reworking the worldwide city sq..”

“X is the long run state of limitless interactivity – centered in audio, video, messaging, funds/banking – creating a world market for concepts, items, providers, and alternatives,” Yaccarino stated. “Powered by AI, X will join us all in methods we’re simply starting to think about.”

A day earlier than he unveiled the rebrand plans, Musk disregarded criticism about his management of the corporate.

“Frankly, I really like the unfavorable suggestions on this platform. Vastly preferable to some sniffy censorship bureau!” Musk tweeted.