Memes are an integral part of digital culture, often characterized by humor and satire that enhance their appeal. Beyond entertainment, many memes are deliberately crafted to convey deeper messages and promote public awareness. This study examines memes posted by the official Instagram handle of Mumbai Police, which uses these memes to address critical issues such as cybercrime, road safety, misinformation, women’s safety, and precautionary measures. By leveraging the engaging nature of memes, Mumbai police aim to make critical information more accessible and relatable. The study analyzes all memes posted by the Mumbai Police Instagram account from its inception on 18 April 2020 to 31 May 2025, exploring their role in digital public communication and awareness-raising. The study’s broad theme is reflected in the objectives: (a) to analyze the effectiveness of different meme themes and awareness topics in driving audience engagement; (b) to examine the effectiveness of different types of humor in memes for engagement; and (c) to relate popular culture and general references in memes to audience engagement. The major findings reveal that engagement with memes is unpredictable and influenced by factors beyond content, including platform algorithms, timing, and audience size. Memes with culturally relevant themes, especially “weed” references, consistently achieve higher engagement both in terms of likes and comments. This highlights that blending creative content with strategic timing is more effective than focusing solely on content features.