I’m cautiously excited for the return of Vine. Can it really build an AI slop-free social media haven? I wake to a notification; Vine is back. My Zillennial heart soars, tears begin to form as I whisper under my breath, 'We are so back.' While the internet moved on with Reels and TikTok brainrot, a part of my soul still rests in the early 2010s when 6-second videos were my entire sense of humour. I am elated, but then reality hits.
What will this new era look like? Surely it can't come close to the golden age of Vine? With a new logo design, a (questionable) new name and a whole new generation of Zoomers and Gen Alphas to impress, can a reinvigorated brand identity really revive an entire internet era, or should we have let Vine rest in peace?
Vine is back, sort of... So when I said Vine was back, I lied (sort of). Like a slightly dated-looking phoenix, the app has risen from the ashes under the new name, Divine, with an ickworthy logo that not even nostalgia can save. While the Vine logo was fine back in the 2010's, the design has since become slightly cheugy, so I'm amazed that its revival didn't come with at least a slight visual revamp.
A new icon logo brings a slight flavour of reinvention, featuring a white play button with a halo and angel wings. While it's a safe choice, it has a playfulness and character thanks to its 3D design, bringing a lightness and optimism to the new branding.
A stop to the AI slop In a press release, Divine outlined its new business model, with a heavy focus on creator ownership and human-made content. Aiming to foster a 'place for authentic, non-AI-generated media,' Divine brings a grand promise of a slop-free platform 'focused on creativity and constraint over engagement for an ad algorithm'. Using a Cryptographic Video Authenticity model, each video will be subject to a 'notarization' layer to help audiences distinguish real content. 'It is no secret that we didn’t find a business model for Vine,' says Twitter co-founder, businessman and now Divine grant funder, Jack Dorsey. 'A founding principle for Divine is that creators will always be in full control of their content and followers, enabling them to create and grow their own revenue streams. I anticipate that Divine will provide a host of tools and services to support the growth of the creator economy,' he explains.
