Who ever said regular advertising isn't a grift? Advertising in general is just psychological manipulation designed to make you sadder and poorer by manufacturing a specific discontent in the victim and then selling them a supposed cure for that discontent.
If someone's going to kick me in the groin, then I suppose it's technically better to be up-front about the fact that they're going to kick me in the groin, but in truth I'd just rather not be kicked in the groin at all, thanks.