Actually it would be C for me, I would be forthright and tell the individual that the product in question could be better but it may still help someone who buys it so lets Git-R-Done.

A. You could say you won’t do it. Unless there are legal or moral considerations (they want you to lie, or to do something that hurts somebody), this is simply not my place. The boss is the boss for a reason: they make enough stupid decisions and they get fired.

B. You could work to your exact job description, say nothing, and do it – but your value to your boss goes down.

C. You can tell the boss you think it’s a stupid idea (diplomatically, of course and that you recommend against it. If your boss says “go ahead and do it anyway,” you do it.

I would maintain that the only one that both maximizes my value and does not overstep my bounds is C. I might be wrong, or you might be right – that doesn’t change the decision one bit.

However, as I focus on working with SMEs, I often have to go with A. I couldn’t live with myself if any of my clients lost their homes because they put their faith in a turkey and I hadn’t warned them.

Problem is, even if clients are very intelligent (in fact, particularly if they are very intelligent) they can struggle to see the flaws in their pet projects.

I’d do more than just C. I’d make sure the client can accept a total failure, in spite of the best professional efforts I make. I often ask my clients, “How will you feel if you pay me $$$ and you very little if anything happens? Can you live and accept zero or even negative ROI?” I sometimes send this declaration in writing in an email and insist on a written response that authorizes a project.

However, if I thought the product was harmful or dangerous I’d go for Option A and turn down the assignment. Example: one potential client wanted me to write a brochure advising cancer patients to stop their chemotherapy and take Unproven Product X instead. I felt that giving such advice would be unethical and politely declined the assignment.

I’d go with C.
I believe that the burden of making the most verbose catchphrase to sell a product falls on the shoulders of a copywriter, regardless if its a hardsell. Let’s face it, that’s what they are paid for, to make a not too good product sound as an excellent buy. Given that the client is working side by side with you, so as not to keep him behind the shadows and have a full awareness of the risk they ought to face with this product.

That is, I won’t tell the client I think mail marketing will fail, but I’ll ask questions about why he thinks it will succeed. I want the client to understand I think the project is challenging and that I’m counting on him to provide all the insight and information possible to help me do a better job.

I don’t see where C makes any sense if you actually want to do the job. Imagine yourself as the client. I tell you I don’t believe the product will sell in the mail but I’m “happy to take a crack at writing it.” Now there’s a confidence-building reply. Are you really going to hire me to do something that I’ve just told you I don’t think is going to work? And if you’re going to hire me despite my personal reservations, don’t you want to hear that I’m going to do more than take a crack at it? Wouldn’t you prefer to hear that I’m going to do everything I can to make it succeed?