In Twitter’s clumsy rebranding, the X light badge was removed from HQ

Elon Musk broke arms with San Francisco city officials and this Monday (31) removed the neon sign with the X of the new Twitter brand that was placed on the company’s headquarters building without authorization.

The sign, which kept flashing to form the letter X and the moving ledge on the facade, angered nearby residents and won the world over after a video by journalist Christopher Baele, who lives across the street, reached more than 39 million views.

Viewings began the day the brand was announced and the badge was installed on Friday (29).

New X branding from ex-Twitter on Musk’s profile

Even with the removal, Elon Musk continues to display the photo of the newly branded light in the header of his X, formerly Twitter, profile.

The businessman did not address the controversy, but did try to please the city of San Francisco, saying the company had no plans to move — but that was before the sign was removed.

In a post published on Sunday (30), when criticism was already widespread and local officials who had tried to enter the building to check construction conditions had been prevented, he tweeted.

Many offered rich incentives for X (aka Twitter) to move its headquarters out of San Francisco. Furthermore, the town is in a spiral of destruction, with one company after another leaving. […]

As such, some expect the X to move as well. We will not. You only know who your real friends are when the chips are down on the table. San Francisco, beautiful San Francisco, though others forsake you, we will always be your friends.

City Hall was not so friendly. The city’s Department of Building Inspection reported to local media on Monday that it received 24 complaints about the construction ban over the weekend.

Complaints included concerns about safety and excessive lighting. Photos from social media users showed sandbags supporting the metal structure.

One user posted a picture of the light effect in the neighborhood in response to Musk’s statement about the city, asking him to remove the sign so it doesn’t affect people who live across the street.

You should probably remove the blinding X light to prevent people on the street or passersby from having seizurespic.twitter.com/lvsHYWAEg9

— ali (@0itsali0) July 29, 2023

Twitter users posted images of the agents at work, showing the white structure where the Twitter name was previously in a vertical position, now empty, and people taking pictures of the moment.

Also read | Twitter’s brand value under Musk is down 32% in a year. Google remains a leader in media

Messy rebranding on Twitter

Twitter’s rebranding is showing more and more signs of being unplanned, and the sign controversy is just one of them.

The company did not own the use of the @X account and had to acquire it by “kicking out” the former owner.

The new brand was even blocked in Indonesia because X is associated with pornography and gambling.

Just this Monday, Apple’s app store changed the app’s name to X, more than a week after the change.

The reason, according to technology website Mashable, is that Apple didn’t allow single-letter app names – something that could have been discussed earlier rather than after the rebrand was announced.

However, the block that presents prices for in-app purchases continues to offer the “Twitter Blue” verification badge.

Some users have updated the logo on their phones, while others are sticking with the blue bird, whose departure continues to spark memes, lamentations and protests in the X market.

Also read | How renaming Twitter X could block Musk’s plan to turn the network into a financial super-app