Labour yesterday unveiled significant endorsements late in the Holyrood campaign, including actor Robbie Coltrane, broadcaster Muriel Gray and football commentator Archie McPherson.
It also won the endorsement of another party leader. John Swinburne, leader of the Scottish Senior Citizens Unity Party, urged people to back Jack McConnell's candidates on the constituency vote and his own candidates for the regional option.
With the SNP building momentum through such endorsements - yesterday it won the support, at least for its sports policy, of Scotland rugby captain Jason White - Labour has found it hard to keep up.
Muriel Gray is among the new Labour names, having backed the SNP 20 years ago. The TV presenter and producer said yesterday she supports Labour because of her fears that the SNP's new financial backers, such as transport tycoon Brian Souter, have a religious agenda for an independent Scotland to become more conservative.
"It's crucial this time," said Ms Gray. "This is a planetary alignment of disasters waiting to happen. People say they want a change without realising what it will mean. All these dark secret forces hope for independence so that they can have unelected, undemocratic power. What a future Scotland that's going to be. Hello, banana republic!"
Other Labour endorsements included Jim Spowart, founder of Standard Life Bank and Intelligent Finance, Michael Shea, former spokesman for the Queen, and Michelle Mone, of Ultimo bra fame. From the entertainment world, Labour also got the support of Richard Jobson, former punk rocker and now film director.
The most unexpected endorsement came from John Swinburne, who won a single seat for the SSCUP in 2003.
Solidarity leader Tommy Sheridan said Mr Swinburne "has just cut his party's own electoral throat. It is absolute electoral suicide to back the party which has destroyed pensions and remains the party of the council tax."
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