They certainly do grab peoples attention, but what's the point of achieving that if people don't leave with a message or company name to attach to that attention grabbing moment? It's the design equivalent of a town crier standing in the middle of a city centre screaming "LOOK AT ME!!!! LOOK! Never-mind, I have nothing to say." You really need to get the message across with the flyers by making the text much, much more prominent in the design.
I'm sure your mate is happy with it, but he's not a designer and it's your job to know this stuff and make the right decision!