Elon Musk has been no stranger to controversy in recent months, but few could have predicted the removal of Twitter’s iconic blue bird, Larry, which has been the website’s logo since 2010. This marks the latest turbulent change since Musk’s takeover of the platform last October.

On Sunday, 23rd July, Musk tweeted asking his followers for new logo ideas. He landed on his new logo after just 50 minutes, posting a short video of the new ‘X’ symbol, complete with flickering graphics and sound effects. Musk claims the idea of changing the logo was to “embody the imperfections in us all that make us all unique”.

Musk posted a short snippet revealing the new ‘X’ logo to his followers.

Musk claims that the new logo resembles Art Deco style. Many believe it simply reflects Musk’s preference for ‘X’ themed logos. The decision to shake up Twitter’s branding follows the debut of Musk’s new artificial intelligence company, xAI, the logo of which caused a significant design debate just over a week ago.

The change of Twitter’s bird logo marks the end of one of social media’s most recognizable brands. Time will tell how the rebrand will impact the website. Musk has repeatedly spoken of his intention to make Twitter bigger, turning it into ‘an everything app’, similar to WeChat in China.