The purpose of this article is to give an insight into the essential set of problems that enables one to define a profession that is recognized and misunderstood at the same time. The paper attempts to describe the context in which advertising translation is processed and its role in international marketing. Then, the type of work required from translators and the impact of this professional environment on their practice is analysed. Lastly, the main difficulties experienced by the translator and the skills required to accomplish his mission successfully are looked into.