With Love, Christmas

The film begins with Melanie Welsh, a talented but overly accommodating advertising executive, being told by her sister Jude that she is 'too nice' and a pushover. At their agency, Farnsworth Advertising, the annual Secret Santa tradition begins, and Melanie draws the name of Donovan Goodwin, a cold and analytical coworker who views Christmas as nothing more than a marketing opportunity. Simultaneously, their boss, Mr. Farnsworth, pairs the two together to pitch a holiday campaign for Evergreen Mobile, a major account that could lead to a Creative Director promotion for whoever succeeds. Melanie and Donovan immediately clash; he wants a sleek, tech-focused ad, while she believes the campaign needs 'heart' and emotional resonance. To better understand her difficult Secret Santa recipient, Melanie creates a anonymous email account to message Donovan. To her surprise, the 'Scrooge' of the office is warm, funny, and vulnerable in his digital replies. In person, Melanie takes Donovan on 'Christmas reconnaissance' trips to craft fairs and ice rinks to help him find inspiration, leading to genuine bonding. However, a complication arises when Donovan mistakenly believes that another coworker, Alicia, is the one sending him the Secret Santa emails. He begins dating Alicia, leaving Melanie heartbroken but unable to reveal the truth without ruining the 'secret' of the tradition. As the deadline for the Evergreen pitch approaches, Donovan tries to take full control of the project. Encouraged by her 'Secret Santa' conversations and her sister, Melanie finally stands her ground, insisting that they combine their strengths. They develop a concept about a young boy using an Evergreen phone to call Santa to help his hardworking father, which perfectly blends technology with holiday spirit. The pitch is a massive success. At the office Christmas party, Mr. Farnsworth announces that Melanie has earned the Creative Director promotion. During the gift exchange, Donovan receives a thoughtful gift from Melanie that references their private emails. He realizes that Alicia was never his Secret Santa and that the connection he felt was always with Melanie. The film concludes with Donovan admitting he has been won over by the Christmas spirit, and the two share a kiss under the holiday lights.