Twitter, the popular social media platform, is making headlines yet again, but this time not for trending tweets or viral posts. The company’s much-anticipated rebranding, which involves changing its name to X, hit a snag when police interrupted the removal of its outgoing company name from the San Francisco headquarters.
Lights. Camera. X! pic.twitter.com/K9Ou47Qb4R
— Linda Yaccarino (@lindayacc) July 24, 2023
Owned by tech mogul Elon Musk, Twitter had been in the process of transitioning its corporate identity. However, work on the sign removal was brought to a halt after five letters were taken down from the large vertical sign. The result? The headquarters now simply bears the remnants of “er,” leaving some commentators amused by the apparent fitting reaction to the company’s abrupt makeover.
Onlooker Justin Sullivan captured the unusual sight, taking photos of the sign removal for Getty Images. He revealed that San Francisco police intervened shortly after the process began, sparking curiosity and speculation among the public.
The rebranding effort involves not only the name change but also a new logo, an X on a black background, replacing the iconic blue bird that has long represented the microblogging giant. The new logo was projected onto the side of the headquarters just the day before the sign removal incident.
In a series of tweets, Elon Musk playfully announced the impending changes, stating that tweets would be replaced by “x’s” and seemingly bidding farewell to the beloved Twitter brand and its feathered mascot.
Despite the police intervention, the reason behind the halt wasn’t immediately clear. Initial reports suggested that it might have been due to a permit issue, but the police later clarified that it was merely a misunderstanding and no crime had been committed.
While some Twitter users found humor in the situation, not everyone was on board with the rebranding decision. Marketing professor Jean-Pierre Dube expressed skepticism, questioning why the company would part ways with a widely recognized brand like Twitter.
This bold move comes amid a period of turbulence for the social media giant. Musk disclosed a significant drop in advertising revenue and a series of legal challenges related to severance payments and unpaid bills. The tech mogul purchased Twitter for a staggering $44 billion last year and subsequently carried out significant downsizing, cutting thousands of jobs shortly after taking over the company.
As the situation unfolds, it remains to be seen when the sign removal will resume and how Twitter’s rebranding to X will be received by its vast user base. With a mix of anticipation and skepticism in the air, only time will tell if the X factor will propel the platform to new heights or leave users longing for the familiar blue bird and the good old days of Twitter.
