Twitter Rebrand to X

Overview

Twitter Rebrand to X refers to Elon Musk's decision to change the name and logo of the microblogging app and social media platform Twitter to the letter "X" following his Twitter acquisition. While Musk announced the decision in July 2023, his ambition to create an "everything app" named X has been previously documented. Various internet commentators debated the value of the company departing from Twitter's longtime branding and name, with some users pointing out the copyright and trademark issues surrounding Twitter's new rebranding to "X" with regard to the website "Xvideos," the use of a Unicode "Mathematical Double-Struck Capital X" 𝕏 (U+1D54F) as a logo and the Japanese rock band "X." Shortly after the announcement and subsequent rebrand taking place on the platform, many online notably began making memes about X, often mocking or parodying it.

Background

Elon Musk has previously demonstrated an interest in naming a corporation "X," with one of his first business ventures being an online banking and financial services platform named X.com. The site was later merged with Peter Thiel's PayPal, and Musk was notably voted out of being the company's CEO in favor of Thiel as CEO in 2000. The company was subsequently renamed PayPal.^[8]

Musk has pointed to his continued pursuit of creating an "everything app" named "X" over the years, posting a tweet on July 10th, 2017, about buying back the domain name "X.com" (seen below, left).^[9] On May 12th, 2023, Musk mentioned his goal of transforming Twitter into "X, the everything app" (seen below, right).^[10]

Twitter Rebranded to X

On July 23rd, 2023, Twitter owner Elon Musk^[1] tweeted that he planned to rebrand the platform's name and memorable logo. His post (shown below, left) garnered over 152,000 likes and 15,000 replies in a day. Musk then posted another tweet asking people to share their best logo for the new company name "X." The post^[2] (shown below, right) received over 171,000 likes and 17,300 retweets in a day.

Almost 20 minutes later after Musk's request, Twitter^[3] user SawyerMerritt posted a video of an "X" logo replacing Twitter's blue bird (shown below). The video was shared and pinned on Elon Musk's Twitter account, garnering over 201,000 likes and 49,000 retweets in a day.

Online Reactions

Following the rebrand, memes about the company's new name quickly spread online over social media and meme-posting sites. For example, on July 23rd, 2023, Twitter^[5] user @marionumber4 used an image macro of the Domino Effect meme to explain how Elon Musk choose the new name for his company. The post (shown below, left) received over 4,800 likes and 390 retweets in a day.

Also that day, Twitter^[6] user @AISafetyMemes posted an image macro of the Grant Gustin Next To Oliver Queen's Grave meme (shown below, right), commenting on the amount of money spent on Twitter's brand equity. The post garnered over 7,400 likes and 320 retweets in a day.

On July 23rd, 2023, Twitter^[13] user @mike27356894 posted another joke using the logos for various apps to almost spell the word "Gay Sex." the post gathered over 290,000 likes in a day (seen below, left). Also on July 23rd, Twitter^[14] user @selsaystuff posted a tweet that read, "looks like a dating app for gay men," gathering over 220,000 likes in a day (seen below, right).

Developments

A few hours after his initial tweet about the rebranding on July 23rd, 2023, Elon Musk^[4] then said his company had acquired the "X.com" domain and that it now "points to https://twitter.com." The tweet (shown below) garnered roughly 96,000 likes and 27,000 retweets in a day.

Twitter CEO Linda Yaccarino^[8] commented about the company rebrand, saying the strategy creates "a second chance to make another big impression" and that the "X" name "will go further, transforming the global town square." The post garnered over 15,000 likes and 4,700 retweets in a day. The CEO also stated that "X" will be powered by AI (shown below).

Possible Trademark and Copyright Issues

Various internet users noted possible issues that may arise with Musk's decision to rebrand Twitter to X, with Twitter user @IanColdwater^[11] posting a tweet on July 23rd, 2023, about the similarities between Twitter's new logo and a Unicode "Mathematical Double-Struck Capital X" 𝕏 (U+1D54F)^[16]. The tweet gathered over 4,000 likes in a day (seen below, left). Also on July 23rd, Twitter user @mrjeffu^[12] posted a tweet about how the name X refers to a prominent Japanese band, gathering over 10,000 likes in a day (seen below, right).

Internet users also noted the similarities between the name X and the adult website "XVideos." These discussions were exacerbated by Twitter users sharing a screenshot that showed the account "xvideos" was purportedly suspended on the platform. Twitter user^[15] @LKnevermisses posted one such screenshot, gathering over 10,000 likes in a day (seen below).

On July 23rd, Twitter^[7] user @xArcz10x posted the Zoolander Stare meme to joke about the adult website Xvideos becoming a trending topic after Elon's new company name announcement. The post (shown below) garnered over 400 likes and 40 retweets in a day.

Change Of URL

On May 17th, 2024, ten months after Musk announced that "Twitter" had become "X," the site's URL finally changed from "Twitter.com" to "X.com," completing the transition.

Search Interest

External References