Opinion: On the Campaign Couch ... with JB.(Column)

Q: I'm quite close to the account director who looks after my brand at my agency. He's just asked me to be godfather to his first child Would this be inappropriate?

A: Yes. Inappropriate is a wonderfully imprecise word. It excuses you from providing a reason for your decisions. You can decline to donate to charities, interview colleagues' sisters' teenage children, buy another ISA or be part of a discussion panel on juvenile obesity - all on the grounds that it would be inappropriate. It's seldom challenged. In your case, however, you need to be clear exactly why becoming your account director's first child's godfather would be inappropriate.

You say he looks after your brand. Well, it's probably not your brand, but your …