Hailed as the “Minnesota golf event of the summer,” the 3M Open brings some of the best golfers in the world to the Twin Cities for an exciting competition. It also brings thousands of attendees, hundreds of volunteers, and a handful of event signage experts like us. In fact, we’re proud to say this is the 4th year in a row that we’ve partnered with 3M to help bring this monumental event to life!
Keep reading to learn more about the 8 unique and iconic 3M Open features we had a hand in creating.
ABOUT THE 3M OPEN
The 3M Open is part of the FedEx Cup series and an official stop on the PGA Tour. This year’s event took place from July 17–24, 2022, at the TPC Twin Cities Golf Course in Blaine, Minnesota.
In addition to the $7.5 million purse, the tournament serves as the principal fundraiser for the 3M Open Fund, a local non-profit that supports local and regional charitable organizations. This year’s deserving recipients included the Greater Twin Cities United Way, the University of Minnesota Masonic Children’s Hospital, the Science Museum of Minnesota, and more.
SERVICES BRAND INK PROVIDED
Brand Ink was selected to provide over 50 activations around the course (and beyond), including:
- Multiple interactive installations
- Various event signage
- Ten golf cart vehicle wraps
- Custom tee markers
- A Cooling Shelter
- Non-slip safety walk
- Wall wraps and window graphics
- Floating water signs
- And much more
FEATURE #1: THE 3M MINI GOLF COURSE
As a new attraction at this year’s event, 3M commissioned us to create a custom 6-hole mini golf course. Each hole was to be a recreation of one of the most memorable holes at TPC Twin Cities.
The catch? It had to be made exclusively from 3M products and materials. We were more than happy to accept that challenge!
For our course materials, we used:
- 12,174 sheets of Post-it® Super Sticky Notes, 3 in. x 3 in., Oasis Collection
- 288 sheets of Post-it® Super Sticky Notes, 3 in. x 3 in., Supernova Neons Collection
- 4 packs of Post-it® Tabs
- 626 ft. of ScotchBlue™ Original Painter’s Tape
- 443.5 ft. of Scotch™ Cushion Lock™ Protective Wrap
- 12 rolls of Scotch® Magic™ Greener Tape
- 302.5 ft. of Scotch-Brite® Scrub Dots Sponges & Scotch-Brite® Advanced Scrub Dots Scrubbers
- 240 Scotch-Brite® Heavy Duty Scrub Sponges
- 140.5 ft. of Scotch-Brite® Greener Clean Non-Scratch Scrub Sponges
- 230 Nexcare™ Duo Fabric Bandages
- 96 ACE™ Elastic Bandages
- 70 3M™ Pro Grade Precision™ Faster Sanding Sheets
- 60 Filtrete™ MPR 1900 Air Filters
Turns out, these materials make for a rather challenging round of mini golf! Watch as this year’s 3M Open champ, Tony Finau, and last year’s winner, Cameron Champ, take on “about as hard of a mini golf course as [Finau’s ever] seen.
FEATURE #2: THE WELCOME WALL AND COOLING SHELTER
Brand Ink was also tasked with creating the giant welcome wall that greeted players and guests at the entrance to the course. The wall was made from twenty 8 ft. x 4 ft. panels that, when combined, spanned 75 ft.!
Each panel contained hundreds of hand-cut acrylic golf balls that joined together to create a specific color order. When completed, the wall read, “GOLF THAT MATTERS”—the official slogan of this year’s event.
Also in the welcome area was the Cooling Shelter, where patrons—like former NFL wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald—could comfortably wait for their bus to arrive. We used 3M™ Passive Radiative Cooling Film to help keep out the sun’s harsh summer rays.
We were also responsible for wrapping one of the tunnel entrances with images of former 3M Open winners holding their trophies with pride.
FEATURE #3: 3M BRANDED GOLF CART WRAPS
Designing and installing vehicle wraps is our bread and butter here at Brand Ink, so when we were asked to work on a fleet of ten 3M Open golf carts, we were thrilled. We began by taking measurements of the carts and then went through the multiple brand style guides to ensure the final colors all perfectly matched the look of their respective brands.
Once our design files were complete, we printed the 3M vinyl wrap for all ten vehicles. We then installed all the wraps on-site so they would be ready to roll ahead of the tournament.
The full fleet of golf carts included the following 3M brands:
- Ace™
- Command™
- Filtrete™
- Futuro™
- Meguiar’s®
- Nexcare™
- Post-it®
- Scotch™
- ScotchBlue™
- Scotch-Brite™
FEATURE #4: DICHROIC BUTTERFLY GARDEN AND FLOATING WATER SIGNS
Another cool feature at the 3M Open was the butterfly garden wall. We used dichroic glass finishes, which act as a thin filter that selectively allows certain light to pass through while reflecting other colors. Each strand was hand-crafted with this architectural film to create these vibrant, color-shifting butterflies.
Brand Ink also made all the 3M water signs. These were made to float in the ponds sprinkled throughout the golf course and could even be seen by the Goodyear blimp during the live TV broadcast.
FEATURE #5: SCOTCH® BRAND TEE MARKERS
If you paid extra close attention to holes #17 and #18, you may have noticed the special markers adorning the tee boxes. The tee markers were handcrafted by the Brand Ink team to perfectly resemble a Scotch® Super-Hold Tape Dispenser and a stack of ScotchBlue™ Painter’s Tape.
Our custom work on these tee markers included:
- Initial design
- 3D modeling
- 3D printing
- Polishing and finishing
- Vinyl wrapping
Watch as Emma Carpenter and Jason Day use our special tee markers for a friendly competitive game of poison!
FEATURE #6: 3M SCIENCE DOME & GLASS BUBBLE ROCKET
The 3M Science dome featured a 360° IMAX-like theater experience and several backlit fabric signs we created to highlight 3M’s bold innovations in health care, safety and industrial, transportation, electronics, and consumer brands that power the world. We also designed and 3D printed a small rocket that was filled with 3M Glass Bubbles®—the very same ones being used on actual NASA rockets!
The dome even had outdoor seating that showcased the incredible strength of 3M VHB™ tape by adhering chairs to the walls for fans to sit and “hang out” while watching golf.
The Brand Ink team also created a giant world map comprised of 2 in. Command™ Heavyweight Utility Hooks. Each hook was hand painted and hand applied to the wall. See below as Mo Kim—the first ASEAN PGA golfer to ever play in the 3M Open—points to his home country of Thailand.
FEATURE #7: THE PRO SHOP AT VIKING LAKES
Our next stage of the 3M Open project took us 30 miles south from the TPC Twin Cities Golf Club in Blaine to the Omni Viking Lakes Hotel in Eagan, Minnesota. If you’re familiar with the hotel, you’ll know it’s right across the pond from TCO Stadium, the performance center and training facility home of the Minnesota Vikings (another client of ours that provides us with innovative and flashy collaborations).
At Viking Lakes, we completely decked out their 3M Open Pro Shop with wall-to-wall vinyl wraps and window graphics. They even feature last year’s winner (and this year’s mini golf extraordinaire) Cameron Champ!
FEATURE #8: THE SYMPHONIC SWING WIND CHIME
One of the coolest builds we showcased at the 3M Open this year was the custom walkthrough wind chime. This completely playable instrument was comprised of actual golf clubs and hand-made wind chimes—each cut and sized to produce a different musical note.
Watch below as PGA Tour professionals Josh Creel and Paul Barjon attempt to play the wind chimes and show that their talents extend well beyond the golf course.
The best part is, after the tournament, the installation was donated to the M Health Fairview Masonic Children’s Hospital to celebrate their music and art programs. There it will be permanently displayed outside the hospital for the children to enjoy. We’re glad it found such a deserving home!
To learn more, we encourage you to check out this CBS article and news segment featuring the Symphonic Swing and the healing power of music.
DO YOU HAVE AN UPCOMING EVENT THAT COULD USE OUR HELP?
Whether it’s a single booth or an entire convention center, the event signage experts at Brand Ink can help you take things to the next level. Our team of professional designers, manufacturers, and installers has the skills and experience necessary to create a visually engaging environment your attendees will love. Contact us today to request a free quote.