If you want to be heard, make noise. Someone else put together a newspaper with lots of funny comments. Sure, they were gimmicks, but they distinguished these candidates from a flood of applicants. And they were also signs of initiative and cleverness, which we find extremely important. The biggest obstacle to negotiating well is our inherent modesty.
People are uncomfortable asserting their best attributes.
So let other people sing your praises. Assemble compelling references and make sure your potential employer speaks with these people. Negotiations require confrontation. Any negotiation has its difficult moments. Don't let them trigger undue anger.