Jingle Around the Clock

Elle Bennett is a dedicated advertising professional in Chicago who takes great pride in organizing 'Misfit Christmas,' an annual tradition for her group of friends who don't have local family. Her professional life becomes complicated when a major account, Century Cookware, faces a crisis after a competitor releases a nearly identical ad. Her boss, Fiona, brings in Max Turner, a high-performing 'fixer' from the New York office, to help resolve the issue. Unbeknownst to them, Elle and Max have already had a series of 'meet-cutes' at a local coffee shop and a Christmas fair, where Max was secretly helping his mother, Nancy, with her ornament booth. When they realize they are colleagues, they clash over the campaign's direction: Max wants a celebrity host, while Elle wants a relatable, social media-driven approach. They settle their dispute with a wreath-making competition, which Elle wins, leading to a campaign featuring 'real people' and family recipes. Elle herself becomes the face of the campaign when the scheduled celebrity host falls ill. As they work closely together, they discover they are both finalists for the same Creative Director position in Chicago. Despite the competition, they grow closer, and Max invites Elle to help his mother set up a website for her ornament business. However, the tension peaks on the day of the interviews. Elle overhears that Max discussed her specific marketing ideas—pop-up test drives and in-store demos—during his meeting with the partners. Believing he stole her ideas to secure the promotion, she confronts him and prepares to attend her party alone and heartbroken. At the firm's official Christmas party, Elle learns the truth: Max didn't steal her ideas; he used his interview time to advocate for her talent and then resigned from the firm to help his mother expand her business. Realizing her mistake, Elle finds that her friends and Max have moved the 'Misfit Christmas' party to a grander venue to accommodate her busy schedule. The film concludes with Elle getting the promotion, Max starting a new chapter with his family business, and the two of them celebrating their new relationship at the party.