Elon Musk has officially rebranded Twitter as “X,” as he seeks to turn the platform into an “everything” app. After the announcement, Hashtag ‘RIP Twitter’ is trending worldwide.
Heartbroken and angry fans of the blue bird of Twitter are mourning more intensely than ever over the loss of the iconic logo. “RIP Twitter” was trending Sunday on Twitter. Whose name — and symbol — were changed early last week to “X” by owner Elon Musk.
Over the weekend, Elon Musk issued the unexpected fiat via late-night/early-morning tweetstorm (x-storm?). That Twitter would now be known as X — complete with a new X logo. That has replaced the bonny blue birdie on the service’s website.
Per Musk, you won’t be posting tweets on his social platform, you will be throwing up… “x’s.”
Company founder Jack Dorsey once explained that “Twitter” was chosen as the brand name. Because the word means a “short burst of inconsequential information and chirps from birds. And that’s exactly what the product was.”
“X” has been touted by Twitter CEO Linda Yaccarino as the “future state of unlimited interactivity.” But it’s apparently failing to spark a connection with some die-hard bird lovers, who took to X to complain.
History of Iconic Logo
The modern Twitter bird was actually the company’s second logo and replaced the company’s earlier “Larry the Bird” logo it used between 2010 and 2012. The Twitter bird logo was designed by Martin Grasser alongside Todd Waterbury and Angy Che. The final design was one of 24 potential options presented to Jack Dorsey. Grasser previously told Fast Company that Twitter’s co-founder and former CEO picked it out almost immediately.
Now that everyone’s in the loop, it seems to be the common consensus that the new logo is atrocious and well.. they’re not wrong. Soon enough, #RipTwitter began trending and that is still the case. Many ‘tweets’ vary from simple eulogies for the Twitter bird to humorous yet soul-crushing memes. Many depictions of the Twitter bird have seen it unemployed and homeless, whereas others announce its departure from this life. Talk about morbid.