aespa’s Savage mini-album takes home the main award at iF Design Award. 

aespa’s 1st mini album, ‘Savage’, wins the main award at the top 3 global design awards ‘iF Design Award’! Its packaging that incorporates the virtual experience of ‘KWANGYA’ receives high praise!#aespa #æspa #에스파#Savage #iFDesignAward pic.twitter.com/7VwqXACtmB

— SMTOWN (@SMTOWNGLOBAL) April 20, 2022

The prestigious iF Design Award is among the ranks of the top 3 global design awards, with over 75 panellists all over the world coming together over 3 days to conduct in-depth discussions over each year’s recipients. 

For this year’s series, the SM Entertainment girl group were showered with praises for their innovative and creative physical album design for their first mini-album. 

The jury placed high emphasis on the world-building of ‘KWANGYA’, a virtual space imagined by SM, through fresh storytelling embedded within the packaging.

"The album's key image represents the transporting portal that aespa uses to arrive at 'KWANGYA' where they fall into Black Mamba's 'HALLUCINATION QUEST'. In order to express the 'HALLUCINATION QUEST', a motif was taken from a snake's traits mixed with 3D artwork," detailed the iF Design Awards.

This news follows closely behind the announcement of the ‘Next Level’ act heading to Coachella this coming weekend, as the first-ever K-pop girl group to perform on the festival’s main stage. 

Watch the music video for ‘Savage’ below: