--- title: "The100: Rituals, hidden formulas and ‘the freakiest show in town’" description: What a super market! Supermarkets are changing – at last! The first supermarket to have an aisle that is free of any plastic packaging was launched in Amsterdam recently. And it’s not the only plastic that may disappear from shops soon – that’s if Amazon Go (in the US) and the CoOp (in the UK) can effectively consign … image: https://hello.watchmethink.com/hubfs/Untitled%20design%20(19).png --- [![Bombayworks logotype](https://hello.watchmethink.com/hubfs/raw_assets/public/WatchMeThink_September_2023/images/wmt-logo_inverse.svg "Bombayworks logotype")](https://watchmethink.com/) - [What we do](https://watchmethink.com/#) - [Watch Me Explore](https://watchmethink.com/what-we-do/watch-me-explore) - [Watch Me Develop](https://watchmethink.com/what-we-do/watch-me-develop) - [Watch Me Use](https://watchmethink.com/what-we-do/watch-me-use) - [Watch Me Shop](https://watchmethink.com/what-we-do/watch-me-shop) - [Who it's for](https://watchmethink.com/#) - [Consumer Insights](https://watchmethink.com/who-its-for/consumer-insights) - [Shopper Insights](https://watchmethink.com/who-its-for/shopper-insights) - [Category Management](https://watchmethink.com/who-its-for/category-mangement) - [Innovation & Product Development](https://watchmethink.com/who-its-for/innovation) - [Sensory & Consumer Science](https://watchmethink.com/who-its-for/consumer-science) - [Packaging](https://watchmethink.com/who-its-for/packaging) - [Marketing](https://watchmethink.com/who-its-for/marketing) - [About](https://watchmethink.com/about) - [The 100 Blog](https://blog.watchmethink.com/) - [Contact](https://watchmethink.com/contact) - [Login](https://watchmethink.com/dashboard) - [Sign up](https://watchmethink.com/#) - [Corporate users](https://watchmethink.com/account/register/client) - [Request registration here](https://watchmethink.com/account/register/client) - [Consumer](https://watchmethink.com/account/register/contributor) - [Get paid to review products](https://watchmethink.com/account/register/contributor) Menu # The100: Rituals, hidden formulas and ‘the freakiest show in town’ - Home - [Blog](https://hello.watchmethink.com/blog) - The100: Rituals, hidden formulas and ‘the freakiest show in town’ - [Blog home /](https://hello.watchmethink.com/blog) [Alistair Vince](https://hello.watchmethink.com/blog/author/alistair-vince) 03/14/2018 [The100](https://hello.watchmethink.com/blog/tag/the100) [0 Comments](https://hello.watchmethink.com/blog/the100-rituals-hidden-formulas-and-the-freakiest-show-in-town#postComment) 1 Minutes ### **What a super market!** Supermarkets are changing – at last! The first supermarket to have an [aisle that is free of any plastic packaging](https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2018/feb/28/first-plastic-free-aisle-is-an-example-for-other-supermarkets-to-follow) was launched in Amsterdam recently. And it’s not the only plastic that may disappear from shops soon – that’s if [Amazon Go](https://www.recode.net/2018/2/22/17019274/amazon-go-6-new-stores-seattle-los-angeles-the-grove-rick-caruso-cashierless) (in the US) and [the CoOp](http://www.mobilepaymentsworld.com/co-op-trials-pay-aisle-technology-mastercard/?v=79cba1185463) (in the UK) can effectively consign that breezy smile of the checkout person to the history books. [How’s all that going for the shopper anyway?](http://video.watchmethink.com/2018/02/23/inside-amazon-go/) ### **More ritual, less routine** Gareth Kay highlights how [brands seem to have lost their focus on the importance of rituals](https://medium.com/chapter-tales/more-rituals-less-routine-24ec4b73f807) and tend to confuse them with routine. One is about *informed intent*, the other simply about *function*. So how might brands build new rituals? “*Well perhaps the first thing we can examine is how people already live their lives.*” Oh yes. That’s certainly a good place to start :- ) ### **The hidden formula behind almost every joke** Not that I want to spoil every punchline you’ll ever hear from this moment on, but it appears [there is a reliable way to mass produce jokes](https://slate.com/culture/2018/02/late-night-comedy-jokes-follow-a-simple-formula.html). It’s a video (3’45), but you’ll quickly grasp the concept, give up your day job and become a comedy script writer. And the rest: ### **‘We were every inch the freakiest show in town’** If you’re a fan of David Bowie, [these marvelous](https://www.itsnicethat.com/news/geoff-maccormack-david-bowie-photography-130218?)[and previously unseen](https://www.itsnicethat.com/news/geoff-maccormack-david-bowie-photography-130218?)[pictures of him](https://www.itsnicethat.com/news/geoff-maccormack-david-bowie-photography-130218?) are about to go on display in the UK, taken by one of his oldest friends ([there’s more background to it here](http://www.genesis-publications.com/book/9781905662012/from-station-to-station-travels-with-bowie)). ### **Toilet paper Orientation** Causing more than a few debates in the WMT (UK) office is which way a toilet roll should face. It’s not just us – a [detailed overview of toilet paper orientation](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Toilet_paper_orientation) is also available on Wikipedia.# **And finally: [a referee turns into a fish](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sBErAjLcLy4). What’s not to like.** --- #### Tag: [The100](https://hello.watchmethink.com/blog/tag/the100) #### Share: - [Follow us on Facebook](http://www.facebook.com/share.php?u=https://hello.watchmethink.com/blog/the100-rituals-hidden-formulas-and-the-freakiest-show-in-town) - [Follow us on Twitter](https://twitter.com/intent/tweet?url=https://hello.watchmethink.com/blog/the100-rituals-hidden-formulas-and-the-freakiest-show-in-town&text=The100:%20Rituals,%20hidden%20formulas%20and%20‘the%20freakiest%20show%20in%20town’) - [Follow us on Linkedin](http://www.linkedin.com/shareArticle?mini=true&url=https://hello.watchmethink.com/blog/the100-rituals-hidden-formulas-and-the-freakiest-show-in-town) - [Follow us on Pinterest](http://pinterest.com/pin/create/button/?url=https://hello.watchmethink.com/blog/the100-rituals-hidden-formulas-and-the-freakiest-show-in-town&text=The100:%20Rituals,%20hidden%20formulas%20and%20‘the%20freakiest%20show%20in%20town’description=What%20a%20super%20market!%20Supermarkets%20are%20changing%20–%20at%20last!&media=https://3461170.fs1.hubspotusercontent-na1.net/hubfs/3461170/Untitled%20design%20%2819%29.png) --- --- ## From the archives If you like The100, maybe even found it vaguely enjoyable (steady now), you can have a ganders at our previous issues. 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[The100](https://hello.watchmethink.com/blog/tag/the100) 04 September, 2026 #### [The100: Patterns that aren't, time well spent and the knights of Arundel](https://hello.watchmethink.com/blog/the100-patterns-that-arent-time-well-spent-and-the-knights-of-arundel) The leadership of sound bites It’s a strange old time in research and insights at the moment, eh?… [Read More](https://hello.watchmethink.com/blog/the100-patterns-that-arent-time-well-spent-and-the-knights-of-arundel) [The100](https://hello.watchmethink.com/blog/tag/the100) 21 August, 2026 #### [The100: Neurononsense, the gym test and the Republic of Olvana](https://hello.watchmethink.com/blog/the100-neurononsense-the-gym-test-and-the-republic-of-olvana) Cite me if you can If I had a cent for every time I heard “95% of purchase decisions are… [Read More](https://hello.watchmethink.com/blog/the100-neurononsense-the-gym-test-and-the-republic-of-olvana) [The100](https://hello.watchmethink.com/blog/tag/the100) 07 August, 2026 #### [The100: Discount loops, The Batman Effect and crimes against the Y axis](https://hello.watchmethink.com/blog/the100-discount-loops-the-batman-effect-and-crimes-against-the-y-axis) Yellow sticker syndrome Mark Ritson has staged an intervention against price promotions and given… [Read More](https://hello.watchmethink.com/blog/the100-discount-loops-the-batman-effect-and-crimes-against-the-y-axis) - Get started - [Login](https://watchmethink.com/account/login) - [Sign up: Corporate User](https://watchmethink.com/account/register/client) - [Sign up: Consumer](https://watchmethink.com/account/register/contributor) - Resources - [Terms for Thinkers](https://watchmethink.com/terms) - [Terms for Adhoc Work](https://watchmethink.com/terms-for-adhoc-work) - [Terms for Subscriptions](https://watchmethink.com/terms-for-subscriptions) - [Terms for Agents](https://watchmethink.com/agent) - About - [Contact us](https://watchmethink.com/contact) - [About us](https://watchmethink.com/about) - [Blog](https://blog.watchmethink.com/) - [Privacy policy](https://watchmethink.com/privacy) - [Equality, diversity and labour standards](https://watchmethink.com/equality-diversity-labour-standards) - Social - [LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/company/watch-me-think) - [Twitter](https://twitter.com/watchmethink) ![cyber-essentials-plus](https://hello.watchmethink.com/hs-fs/hubfs/WatchMeThink_September_2023/images/cyber-essentials-plus.png?width=96&name=cyber-essentials-plus.png "cyber-essentials-plus") ![mrs-logo-cps](https://hello.watchmethink.com/hs-fs/hubfs/WatchMeThink_September_2023/images/mrs-logo-cps.png?width=216&name=mrs-logo-cps.png "mrs-logo-cps") ![watch](https://hello.watchmethink.com/hs-fs/hubfs/WatchMeThink_September_2023/images/watch.png?width=213&name=watch.png "watch") Watch Me Think © 2025. All rights reserved. ![](https://px.ads.linkedin.com/collect/?pid=1498698&fmt=gif) ```json { "@context" : "https://schema.org", "@type" : "BlogPosting", "author" : { "@type" : "Person", "name" : "Alistair Vince", "url" : "https://hello.watchmethink.com/blog/author/alistair-vince" }, "dateModified" : "2025-12-01T14:38:15.412Z", "datePublished" : "2018-03-14T12:00:14.000Z", "headline" : "The100: Rituals, hidden formulas and ‘the freakiest show in town’", "image" : [ "https://hello.watchmethink.com/hubfs/Untitled%20design%20(19).png" ], "mainEntityOfPage" : { "@id" : "https://hello.watchmethink.com/blog/the100-rituals-hidden-formulas-and-the-freakiest-show-in-town", "@type" : "WebPage" }, "publisher" : { "@type" : "Organization", "logo" : { "@type" : "ImageObject", "url" : "https://hello.watchmethink.com/hubfs/wmt_logo_rgb_for-web-1.png" }, "name" : "Watch Me Think" } } ```