Jewishness,
There is one thing that can be wrong with the picture, and that is the fact that they have to revert to these tactics in order to convince people to give Tzeddaka. However, there are so many important causes to give to, and they are merely trying to stand out.
Yes, I happen to know that the ones who advertise heavily, pay heavily. Most often, they make a small percentage profit from what they spent. It might be sad, but it’s not wrong.