Bad Design always Bad Design?

My last post left me wondering... If something is known for being bad design, can it be/should it be mimicked?

Lost cat/dog posters have always been ugly, but you know that when you see a centered photograph sandwiched between two HUGE sanserif headlines, it's because someone desperately wants their pet back. So, did I execute my Lost Website poster properly? No.

I got the gist of it but failed to take it a step further. Granted, I only spent 5 minutes on it and it was just a joke, but it reminded me of this awesome blog post from a while back. The first three posters are probably the most effective ever. I would totally stop and stare at it stapled on a telephone post if it were in my path. BUT I would have no clue what was being advertised to me.