Phileas Fogg is a company that produces snack products in the UK. The brand is named for Phileas Fogg, the protagonist of Jules Verne’s Around the World in Eighty Days
Director: Toby Macdonald
Production Company: Partizan Films
Client: Phileas Fogg
Locations: Vietnam
Location Brief: Pepper Farm in Asia and a site to build traditional Indonesian houses
Phileas Fogg Pepper TVC: Spicing Up Vietnam’s Scenic Backdrops
One of my favourite shoots to date took us to the vibrant landscapes of Vietnam for the Phileas Fogg Pepper TVC, directed by Toby Macdonald and produced by Partizan Films for the UK snack brand Phileas Fogg.
Named after the adventurous Jules Verne character from Around the World in Eighty Days, Phileas Fogg as a brand embodies discovery and quality — qualities perfectly matched by the rich, aromatic pepper farms and traditional settings we found in Vietnam.
Vietnam: The Pepper Capital of the World
Vietnam is the world’s largest exporter of black pepper, accounting for more than half of global production. Its pepper farms, nestled primarily in the Central Highlands, benefit from fertile soil and a tropical climate that produce some of the highest quality peppercorns available.
The Location Brief
The brief called for two distinctive settings:
- A lush pepper farm illustrating the origins and quality of Phileas Fogg’s signature ingredient
- A site to build traditional Indonesian houses, offering rich cultural visuals and texture
Vietnam’s diverse landscapes — from dense greenery to rustic architectural styles — gave us the perfect canvas to tell this flavorful story.
Behind the Scenes
Working alongside Toby Macdonald, known for his ability to fuse cinematic beauty with storytelling, the production embraced Vietnam’s natural colours, textures, and rhythms.
The blend of authentic agricultural life with crafted set pieces helped create a commercial that feels both grounded and aspirational.
Vietnam’s pepper farms not only spice up our plates but also offer stunning locations for filming — combining natural beauty with a story deeply rooted in tradition and flavour.
Here are some of my original location scout photo’s for the TVC:
TVC:
