What is "packshot"

n. (context advertising English) A still or moving close-up of a (usually packaged) product, used to portray the product in advertising.

A packshot (also pack shot) is a still or moving image of a product, usually including its packaging and labeling, used to portray the product's reputation in advertising or other media. It is an important stimulus to sales, with the goal of triggering in-store, on-shelf product recognition. The term packshot also refers to product placement in a movie or television show. Pack shots often dominate television commercials, taking from two to five seconds of a thirty-second commercial. Forged or leaked packshots for unreleased products have led to controversy or increased interest in the product. Packshots can be a simple photograph of the product on a white background or can entail the use of elaborate props. Products sold as digital downloads, such as software, sometimes have digitally generated packshots when no physical product or packaging exists.