Mark Zuckerberg's perfectly-timed rebrand

New Mark just dropped, and he’s totally…Zuckable?

(I’m so sorry, please don’t fire me.)

It seems tech mogul Mark Zuckerberg is desperately trying to beat the robot lizard villain allegations.

And, well, it just might be working.

The internet has gone wild over pictures posted on Zuck's birthday, where he’s seen sporting an oversized graphic tee and gold chain. He also seems to have (literally) let his hair down, wearing a looser, longer curl than his usual short haircut.

This got me thinking… is Zuck rebranding?

We can’t deny the hate train that we’ve all been on for the last ten years, one that headed directly toward the Meta founder and CEO. From the way he speaks to the way he looks to the way his metaverse avatar looks, Zuckerburg hasn’t been able to catch a break.

But recently, I’ve been noticing a little bit of an upgrade in his fit game. (I’m not saying he’s a fashion icon, but it’s an improvement from the classic CEO "I’m too busy and serious to care uniform," okay?)

He was spotted in Japan wearing this shearling jacket (not bad).

He wore CUSTOM Alexander McQueen to a wedding in March.

And he now rocks a chain, which caught the internet’s attention after he posted a video to Instagram. This resulted in some hilarious memes, with someone editing a beard onto Zuck. The jokes exploded across X, stating he “went from mister steal your data to steal your girl.”

While it’s easy to get distracted by Zuck’s recent glow up, one has to question--why now?

I’ll tell you why.

Zuck is attempting a huge PR turnaround.

Think about it this way. Companies often try to position their executives as the relatable human embodiments of their brand. What’s happening here is no different. Zuck's trying to show he's just a down to earth guy.

And his timing's strategic.

Is it a coincidence that the man is currently staring down one of the largest crises he’s ever faced (and there's been a few)? Meta's currently being sued by 41 states over the myriad of ways it’s harmed its younger users.

This rebrand is a PR strategy which he's hoping will have a halo effect on the company.

Will it be enough to save his image?

At the moment, his rebrand does seem to be turning heads. Many journos are fawning over his “PR moment" right now.

If anything, this highlights the importance of personal brand and the use of PR as an incredible distraction.

However, no amount of fits can blunt a headline like, “Meta Staff Found Instagram Tool Enabled Child Exploitation. The Company Pressed Ahead Anyway.” 

-Sophie, Pop Culture Queen