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Saying sorry is very much back in fashion.

How much it will help him and his party’s election hopes is another matter, but Gordon Brown has now apologised “on behalf of all politicians” for the current expenses scandal engulfing Parliament.

And last week, M&S took the step of advertising its apology to more ample women who were having to pay extra for the retailer’s larger sized bras. The issue had spawned a Facebook Group, Busts 4 Justice - set up by Brighton’s Beckie Williams (pictured above) with more than 17,000 members at time of writing - and national media interest.  Meanwhile, rival retailer, Asda, joined the fray by introducing a “one price fits all” bra.

But the point is, M&S did just the thing that companies find hard to swallow: to admit publicly it was wrong, change policy and offer customers a discount sweetener. It also reflects two truisms; one old as the hills, the other a more recent phenomenon.

The first is about crisis management. If you’ve upset your public, then recognise it and respond. As Alison Theaker says in The Public Relations Handbook, “Tell it first, tell it fast”.

The second is about the growth of online people power. Busts 4 Justice not only reflected the views of women - all potential underwear customers - but the support it generated got noticed in the mainstream media, so multiplying awareness of the issue.

M&S - with its response to the D cup storm - managed to meet the two essential elements of human interaction described by The Conversation Agent’s Valeria Maltoni as 1. Do you care? and 2. Can I trust you?

Who knows - maybe Elton John will have to abandon singing “Sorry seems to be the hardest word” altogether, as it no longer is.

As I write, the House of Lords is debating the 42-day detention amendment to the Goverment’s counter-terrorism bill, which - if passed - would increase from 28 to 42 days the amount of time a terrorist suspect could be held without charge.

To support opposition to the bill, campaign group Liberty has orchestrated 42 UK writers to publish work tackling the implications of the legislation head on, with the results posted on a special section of Liberty’s website. 

The Liberty campaign is a brilliant piece of PR: securing 42 high profile writers to contribute their own words on the subject; designing the web site as a 42-day calendar and gaining press coverage such as that in yesterday’s Observer (half an early news page), aimed at precisely the left-leaning libertarian reader who is more likely to rattle his MP’s cage on the matter.

But the key element here is the writers. Whether or not they could be deemed “celebrities”, their profile raises that of the campaign.

Choosing the right, high profile people to associate with your campaign is a sticky business: finding someone who has sufficient profile and resonance with your chosen audience and who will reflect the brand values of your product or cause. Some choices are clear cut in their brilliance while others seem to work in spite of themselves. 1960’s model and icon, Twiggy’s association with M&S just works. Ironically, so does M&S and Mylene Klass, despite the latter being not really a model nor a pop star, but somehow right for the brand.

Here is a selection of brands that had an association with a star, with a suitable clip to refresh your memory. Can you name the star before clicking on the brand? For those readers under 30, you might need to ask a grown up.

Curly Wurly; Campari; Cinzano Bianco; Boddingtons; Memorex; Fosters; Teach your kids to swim (public information film); Olympus Trip; National Westminster Bank