Edition: U.S. / Global

Style Makers; Jeff Weiss, Advertising Linguist

By Kim Foltz
Published: February 4, 1990

Jef Wis waye kul. Hiz kwan-tro adz, c'est mutch stile.

Translation: Jeff Weiss is the creator of an innovative series of Cointreau print ads written in a made-up language he calls ''Cointreauvian.''

Mr. Weiss, the creative director at Margeotes, Fertitta & Weiss, devised the Cointreau ads as a playful way to get people to pay attention to a rather sedate brand of orange-flavored liqueur. In the ads readers must decipher a message combining French, phonetically spelled words and surfer slang. ''We couldn't just tell people the stuff tastes good,'' said Mr. Weiss, 36 years old. ''We had to say, we know you're smart, we know you're cool.''

The campaign to make Cointreau hip began before the ads appeared. Mr. Weiss concocted a Countess of Cointreau and sent her out to trendy restaurants. Her arrival would be signaled by a virtual firestorm of bursting flashbulbs from photographers hired by Mr. Weiss. The counterfeit countess sent people Cointreau with her compliments. ''We wanted to start a rumor that this was the in drink,'' Mr. Weiss said. ''In the beginning, rumors have more validity than ads.'' Sales for Cointreau are expected to grow about 20 percent this year.

Mr. Weiss began his career in Los Angeles designing mail-order catalogues. Later, he spent six years at J. Walter Thompson. In 1987, he joined his current agency, which is known for its trend-setting advertising.

He credits his ability to latch on to the next creative wave to his surfing days. ''You have to always be looking at the horizon,'' he said. ''You've got to develop a knack for spotting the right wave to ride.'' Otherwise, it's a wipeout.

Photo: Jeff Weiss is riding a wave of playful ads. (The New York Times/Neal Boenzi)