Once dismissed as fleeting jokes shared in group chats, memes have evolved into the internet’s most powerful cultural currency. In 2025, memes weren’t just reactions to pop culture; they were pop culture. They shaped how films were discussed, how brands were remembered, how celebrities stayed relevant, and how everyday emotions were expressed online.
Memes now function as a shared language: instantly recognisable, deeply contextual, and often more expressive than extended captions or essays. A single frame, typo, or oddly phrased sentence can travel faster than breaking news, mutating across platforms like Instagram, X, Reddit, and WhatsApp before settling into the collective memory of the internet.
This year proved that virality doesn’t need polish; it needs relatability. From a mispronounced French word and animals dancing to a doll taking over the world and a simple number that went viral for god knows why, 2025’s most viral memes reflected a digital culture that thrives on irony, chaos, and emotional honesty.
Here’s a look at the memes that ruled timelines, group chats, and comment sections in 2025, and why they mattered.
Prashant–Croissant: When mispronunciation became comedy gold
The “Prashant” meme is proof that the internet’s favourite viral moments are often accidental. What began as a harmless language-learning slip quickly snowballed into a full-blown cultural phenomenon. Content creator Ayush, known for his split-screen videos of learning English via tutorials, unintentionally sparked the trend.
While identifying desserts, he confidently called a croissant “patties,” then misheard the AI’s correction and exclaimed, “Prashant?” The moment exploded online, spawning memes, reels, and even bakeries and cafés cheekily renaming croissants as “Prashant” on their menus to ride the viral wave.
6-7: The number that meant everything and nothing
Like many internet oddities, the ‘6-7’ meme appeared out of nowhere and spread at lightning speed, baffling and amusing users in equal measure. On the surface, the number means nothing, and that randomness is precisely its appeal. There’s no fixed definition: some interpret “6-7” as “so-so” or indecisive, while others use it purely for confusion.
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Dictionary.com categorised it as “brainrot slang,” akin to last year’s ‘skibidi’, and even named ‘6-7’ its Word of the Year in October. The meme’s irony lies in its meaninglessness, thriving as an inside joke. Its popularity was cemented when Google added a wobbling Easter egg for “67” searches.
Aura farming
Aura isn’t just charisma anymore; it’s a harvestable resource. Popularised by Rayyan Arkan Dikha, the Indonesian boy dancing with effortless “cool” on the bow of a boat, aura farming became the term for anyone trying (or succeeding) to look effortlessly stylish. If you did something cool and didn’t post it, did you even gain any +1,000 aura points?
Vishal Mega Mart: The ultimate dream job
In a satirical twist on the competitive Indian job market, Vishal Mega Mart’s security guard recruitment became the “UPSC of retail.” Memes flooded social media claiming the entrance exam was harder than the IIT-JEE, with AI-generated images of Virat Kohli and Ronaldo “applying” for the post. It turned a routine hiring drive into a national obsession, proving that nothing is safe from the meme-makers.
‘Meri body mein sensations’
The “sarsarahat, sansanahaat” dialogue from the 2014 film Hasee Toh Phasee got a 2025 facelift. Thanks to a viral remix by Pextyle, Parineeti Chopra’s description of her “sensations” became the go-to audio for every awkward or over-excited moment. Even her husband, Raghav Chadha, won the internet by joining the trend, officially cementing it as the “vibe” of the summer.
Day 1 as a ‘spy’ in Pakistan
Following the release of the blockbuster Dhurandhar, the internet started the “First Day as an Indian Spy” trend. The joke? Spies getting caught because of their deeply ingrained Indian habits, like touching a fallen book to their forehead in reverence or accidentally calling a shopkeeper “bhaiya”. It was a hilarious take on cultural identity that had everyone checking their “spy” reflexes.
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The husky dance
Pet content reached its peak with the husky dance. A looping animation of a husky grooving to Indian hits like Ichu Ichu became an instant serotonin boost. Started by creator D Arjun, it proved that the internet’s love for dogs and catchy beats is a formula that will never fail.
The Labubu craze
The monster with the serrated teeth took over the world. Labubu, the Pop Mart collectable, went from niche toy to a high-fashion accessory seen on the handbags of stars like Lisa and Rihanna. Whether you find them adorable or “demonic,” Labubu dolls were the status symbol of 2025.
Jet2 Holiday (Nothing Beats It)
The most ironic trend of the year. Using Jess Glynne’s Hold My Hand and the cheerful Nothing beats a Jet2 Holiday jingle, travellers began posting videos of their absolute worst holiday disasters. Cancelled flights, torrential rain at the beach, and hotel mishaps were all soundtracked by this relentlessly upbeat audio, making it the anthem for “expectations vs. reality.”
ColdplayGate
When Chris Martin pointed the kiss cam at a couple in Boston, he accidentally caught the CEO of Astronomer with his head of HR. The pair’s panicked attempt to hide, and Chris Martin’s “Uh-oh, they’re either shy or having an affair” commentary, became the most-watched 10 seconds of the year and became the most used memes, where editors put different personalities instead of the Astronomer couple.
Coldplay accidentally exposed an alleged affair between Astronomer CEO Andy Byron and his colleague Kristin Cabot at one of their recent concerts. pic.twitter.com/hsJHV2u5UM
— Pop Base (@PopBase) July 17, 2025
