Matt Jacobson; Quiksilver Entertainment.(Special Report: Media Mavens)

Byline: Jennifer Pendleton

Many marketers dream of harnessing the power of the entertainment industry for their brands. Few pull it off.

Southern California surfwear marketer Quiksilver could be the exception thanks to Matt Jacobson, 43, VP of Quiksilver Entertainment, a unit of the surfwear retailer. The division has developed movies, TV shows and books. It's lent its muscle to a few fun consumer products, such as a kicky Roxy Phone from Nextel Communications' Boost Mobile, complete with ring tones that play "California Dreamin'.''

Mr. Jacobson has helped Quiksilver do this without being too blatantly commercial-a must to retain the loyalty of …