Squealing Pig’s 2026 Pride Labels Return with New Poems Inspired by Real Stories
Squealing Pig’s Pride labels are back for 2026, returning to shelves and celebrations across Australia with a refreshed look and a deeper layer of meaning. This year’s collection features nine updated labels, each carrying new poems inspired by the lived experiences of members of the Treasury Wine Estates (TWE) Pride network and the broader LGBTQIA+ community.
Rolling out across the national Pride season—from Melbourne’s Midsumma Festival to Sydney’s Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras—the refreshed labels continue a tradition that has become a signature expression of support. What first began as a creative tribute to Pride flags and identities has evolved into a storytelling platform shaped directly by the voices of those it represents.
The 2026 edition builds on that foundation. While the labels remain playful, colourful and unmistakably Squealing Pig, this year they carry a new emotional resonance. Beneath the vibrant design sits something more personal: reflections drawn from real experiences, shared openly and thoughtfully by people who live these stories every day.
From Celebration to Conversation: The Evolution of the Pride Labels
Each summer, as Pride events light up cities around Australia, Squealing Pig’s labels quietly transform. The bottles that appear at festival bars, restaurant tables and backyard gatherings signal more than just a seasonal refresh—they mark an ongoing commitment to visibility and inclusion.
In earlier years, the labels celebrated Pride through bold visuals inspired by different flags and identities. They were joyful, expressive and unapologetically bright. Over time, however, the idea grew beyond visual celebration alone. The team saw an opportunity to deepen the connection between brand expression and authentic lived experience.
For 2026, that evolution takes centre stage. Nine refreshed labels now feature new poems shaped directly by members of the TWE Pride network. These short verses capture moments that resonate across the LGBTQIA+ experience: the nerves of coming out, the relief of being seen and accepted in the workplace, the warmth of finding community, and the quiet strength that comes from living openly.
The result is a collection that feels both celebratory and intimate. The tone remains light-hearted and unmistakably Squealing Pig, yet layered with meaning. It’s a balance of joy and honesty—festive on the surface, grounded in reality underneath.
Co-Creation with the TWE Pride Network
At the heart of the 2026 refresh is collaboration. Members of the TWE Pride network were invited to share personal stories and reflections that mattered most to them. Rather than crafting messages in isolation, the creative process began with conversation.
Workshops were held as open spaces for discussion, where participants could speak about defining moments in their journeys. For some, that meant revisiting the vulnerability of coming out. For others, it was about the significance of feeling supported at work, or the simple but powerful comfort of finding “your people.”
These shared experiences shaped the language that now appears on the bottles. The poems were refined collectively, ensuring that every line felt authentic and respectful. The aim was not to generalise or oversimplify, but to reflect the diversity of stories within the LGBTQIA+ community.
For those involved, contributing to the labels was about more than fulfilling a creative brief. It was about representation in unexpected spaces—seeing everyday stories reflected on a wine bottle that might be poured at a festival bar, shared at a dinner table, or brought along to a gathering of friends.
Victoria Thyssing, a member of the TWE Pride network who contributed to the new poems, described the experience as empowering. “To have Treasury Wine Estates represent us on these labels, it feels empowering, like the company isn’t just celebrating Pride, they’re celebrating us. I’m proud to have contributed and have a part of my story on the shelf,” she said.
Her words capture the broader intention behind the project: ensuring that Pride representation goes beyond surface-level support and instead reflects genuine voices from within the organisation and community.
Rolling Out Across the Australian Pride Calendar
The refreshed labels are appearing across the Australian Pride calendar, beginning in Melbourne at Midsumma Festival. Already poured at festival events and in local venues, the 2026 bottles have become part of the city’s summer celebrations.
Midsumma, known for its vibrant program of arts, culture and community events, provides an early stage for the Pride labels each year. Even after the official festival program concludes, the bottles continue to feature in gatherings across Melbourne, extending the sense of celebration beyond the festival dates.
From there, the focus shifts to Sydney, where Mardi Gras is now in full swing. Squealing Pig is once again a wine partner, with the refreshed labels visible at festival bars and in homes hosting their own Pride celebrations.
The Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras remains one of the most recognisable Pride events in Australia, drawing participants and allies together in a colourful display of solidarity. Within that atmosphere, the Pride labels take on added significance—not just as a seasonal design, but as part of a broader cultural moment that honours visibility and inclusion.
Marching with Pride and Purpose
Beyond the bottles themselves, the 2026 Pride season also includes active participation from TWE team members. This year, they will march in the Mardi Gras Parade alongside colleagues from Asahi under the banner “Thirsty for Love.”
For those involved, marching represents a public affirmation of support and solidarity. It moves Pride from packaging to presence—demonstrating that the commitment extends beyond branding and into lived action.
Standing shoulder to shoulder in the parade, employees contribute their voices to a larger show of allyship for LGBTQIA+ communities. The presence of corporate teams in Pride marches can carry meaningful symbolism, especially when backed by genuine engagement and internal networks that foster inclusion year-round.
More Than a Seasonal Design
As Pride events unfold across Australia, Squealing Pig’s refreshed labels continue to circulate in both high-energy festival settings and quieter, everyday moments. From bustling bars to intimate dinners at home, the bottles serve as conversation starters—small but visible reminders of shared stories and collective celebration.
The 2026 collection demonstrates how a brand initiative can evolve over time. What began as a colourful nod to Pride has grown into a collaborative storytelling platform grounded in real voices. By weaving lived experiences into the fabric of its design, Squealing Pig has created labels that do more than mark a season—they reflect a community.
In doing so, the brand reinforces the idea that Pride is not confined to a single parade or month. It lives in personal journeys, in workplace conversations, and in the everyday act of showing up as yourself. With nine refreshed labels carrying poems shaped by those realities, the 2026 Pride edition continues that story—bright on the outside, deeply human at its core.
Source Link: https://www.tweglobal.com/
