San Francisco Twitter headquarters faced an unexpected setback during its rebranding process. The Elon Musk-owned platform, now known as X, attempted to remove the outgoing company name from the office sign but had to halt due to police intervention.
Changing Identity
Twitter has been headquartered in San Francisco since 2012, and its iconic sign has become synonymous with the cityscape. However, amidst a corporate makeover, five letters were taken down from the large vertical sign of Twitter headquarters before being interrupted by local authorities.
A Mirror of Reactions
The incomplete signage now reads “er,” reflecting some commentators’ skepticism towards the sudden transformation. Justin Sullivan captured photos of this unusual situation for Getty Images and shared that San Francisco police intervened shortly after the removal began.
Transitioning Brand Elements
In line with the rebranding efforts, Twitter’s well-known blue bird logo has been replaced by an X on a black background. This new logo was projected onto the side of their headquarters recently. Furthermore, Elon Musk announced that tweets would be referred to as “x’s” moving forward.
Background Incident Details
Initial reports suggested that police were called due to Mr. Musk not obtaining a permit for this work; however, it was later clarified as a misunderstanding. While responding to what appeared to be an unpermitted street closure incident at first glance, law enforcement determined no crime had occurred and left accordingly.
Despite police leaving without any further action required, work on removing additional signage did not resume immediately following their departure. At present, there is uncertainty regarding when it will continue.
Controversy Surrounding Change
Elon Musk’s decision to change Twitter’s widely recognized brand name and bird logo has sparked criticism within various circles. Marketing professor Jean-Pierre Dube expressed his disbelief at discarding such a prominent brand like Twitter’s during an interview with BBC News.
This rebranding announcement coincided with a turbulent period for the microblogging platform. Twitter’s advertising revenue has reportedly declined by half, and it has faced legal challenges regarding unfulfilled severance payments and outstanding bills. After acquiring Twitter for $44 billion last year, Mr. Musk promptly laid off thousands of employees.
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