In the wee hours of July 23, 2023, Twitter, known as the digital town square, transformed into X. Or did it?
Despite the controversial rebrand happening over six months ago, the web domain remains twitter.com— even x.com redirects to the original link.
Billing reminders to X Premium subscribers still refer to the service as “X (formerly Twitter),” as seen in emails reviewed by CNN.
The platform’s new owner, billionaire Elon Musk, expressed frustration on the day of the rebrand, saying, “The platform still can’t quite bid adieu to the Twitter brand.”
While some, mainly Musk fans, have embraced the X brand, most have not.
Many still call it Twitter, and posts are still referred to as tweets.
A few news outlets still describe it as “X, the platform formerly known as Twitter.”
During a US Senate hearing on social media’s failure to curb child exploitation, one victim’s mother referred to the platform as “Twitter, or now X,” in her video statement.
This clinging to the old name may stem from a desire to avoid confusion and the deep-rooted psychology of design and branding.
Twitter, a beloved platform
Twitter, launched in 2006, quickly gained widespread recognition. It became one of those rare products where the brand name became synonymous with the behavior, like “googling” or “Uber-ing.”
Despite its imperfections, Twitter was a hub for sharing thoughts, and news and connecting with others. It was deeply ingrained in online culture.
Then, changes came
After Musk’s acquisition in 2022, Twitter underwent rapid changes. The focus shifted to cost-cutting, resulting in significant layoffs and instability.
In early 2023, Twitter Inc. became X Corp. Musk, who had a long-standing affinity for the X branding, pushed for the rebranding to realize his vision of an “everything app.”
However, the rebrand caused confusion and resistance, especially as the core platform remained largely unchanged.
Resistance to the new name
The X rebrand failed to resonate in mainstream culture. The name felt out of place and lacked the evocative nature of “Twitter.”
Users continued to refer to the platform as Twitter, showing resistance to the new branding.
Some even created merchandise expressing their loyalty to the old name.
Ultimately, a brand is defined by its users’ perceptions, and for many, X will always be Twitter, regardless of Musk’s intentions.
