In its alumni magazine The Penn Stater, the university took the high road.

The magazine’s art director, Carole Otypka, boldly replaced the traditional color cover with a field of somber grey. Instead of stretching proudly across the masthead, the letters making up the magazine’s title lie in a jumbled heap. Tiny white type declares: “Our Darkest Days.”

The effect is visceral—a punch in the gut. The cover forces the reader to put down the rest of their mail and pay attention to the magazine—even if they don’t even want to think about the ugly crisis that spawned it.

Photo courtesy of The Penn Stater - pennstatermag.comInside, the table of contents delivers on the cover’s promise: it reads like an autopsy of the horrific events witnesses claimed to have seen:

• Collapse: How Could This Happen?
• Darkness: Understanding Child Sexual Abuse
• Identity: Everything We Thought We Know
• Legacy: What Joe Paterno Leaves Behind
• Responsibility: On Pride, and Going Forward

The editors prepared readers for the radical departure from standard practice by posting a pre-publication announcement on the magazine’s blog and inviting reader comments.

This remarkable publication shows what all companies strive to do in their communications pieces—tie core values to real actions. Midtown does not take a stance on the underlying issue that caused this public relations crisis and did not print the magazine. But we did want to share with you an example of the power of print. By taking a courageous step, The Penn Stater showed the world that it can face reality head-on — and its impact only could have worked through print.

Synthetic – This flexible, synthetic material is perfect for situations where moisture or wear are of concern. It is built to last but it is flexible like paper.

- eliminates the need for laminating
- moisture and grease proof
- chemical resistantvelvet is recyclable

Pressure Sensitive – Material is offered in four different adhesive types including:

- permanent adhesive available in paper, polyester and vinyl
- aggressive removable adhesive
- ultra removable adhesive that can be repositioned
- ultra cling with very low tack leaves no residue

Embedded – Embedded material with peel-out magnets or pop-out synthetic cards in paper base stock add value to your printed messages and make membership cards a snap.

- magnets are pre-magnetized
- several formats including 4-up for postcards
- USPS approved for automated rates
- blank templates available in Adobe formats at mohawkpaper.com/bravo

By providing instant, real-time access to mobile sites, videos, and other information, these technologies bridge the gap between seeing a Web address and reaching a computer to type it in.

The codes are amazingly easy to generate, and the apps that read them are just as easy—and free—to download to a smart phone.

QR codes can open a website, play a video, display a phone number, provide a message, deliver a coupon, and more.

Another up and coming technology is image recognition. These applications use cloud technology and data image management to make any type of image scannable through a mobile device.

For example, the latest swimsuit edition of Sports Illustrated features photos that offer more than meets the eye. When users hover over the image with a smart phone, they go to videos of the model during that photo shoot.

What’s more, scans can also be tracked, giving you or your client valuable information about how many people are accessing the scans—and where, when, and how. That’s powerful marketing intelligence.

With about half of the U.S. population expected to be on smart phones soon, the question is not should you use a QR code or image recognition, but how to use it. And that is limited only by your imagination.

Note: The term Quick Response (QR) Code is a registered trademark of DENSO Wave Incorporated.

Unfortunately, creative mojo can be a fickle friend. Designers, writers, and other artists can find their mojo missing when they need it most—and the harder they look for it, the more elusive it can be.

So what can you do if you find your mojo seems to have checked out for the day? Here are some tips to jump-start it:

Break a complex project down into its parts, and then do those parts first that come easiest to you. The confidence you gain by having some of the project completed can help you with the harder parts.

Think back over the past few hours. What words or images made you sit up and take notice? Jot them down, being as descriptive as possible. If they grabbed you, they will probably grab someone else.

Get out of your workspace. Even five minutes talking with your work “neighbor” about your project can help you get a fresh perspective.

Finally, don’t be afraid to experiment—very few people can knock it out of the park with their first few swings. Fresh, original ideas take much effort but can reap unexpected rewards. Sometimes they lead you in a totally different direction. Only by flexing your creative brain power will you bring the ideas to the surface in the first place.  There are many ways to tell your company or client’s story!